Last week at this time, the reports of new COVID-19 cases showed a positive trend in Warren County. The number of new cases each day had remained low and the number of estimated active cases had also started to decline.

What a difference a week makes.

In the past seven days, Warren County has seen an average of 5.2 new cases per day, compared to just three per day the week before. The past seven days have also seen three new virus-related deaths, bringing the number of deaths in Warren County during the pandemic to 10 overall.

Thursday, the Mississippi State Department of Health reported Warren County had five new COVID-19 cases overnight. Those five cases pushed the total number of cases reported during the pandemic to 196. The new cases also forced the number of estimated active cases higher to 48, the highest level since May 23.

The Vicksburg Post reported late Wednesday the news of an employee at Riverwalk Casino testing positive for COVID-19, the first such public report of anyone connected to one of the city’s four casino operations. Casinos in the state were allowed to reopen May 21.

Also Wednesday, the state released the breakdown of cases and deaths connected to long-term care facilities in each county. The report listed the individual facilities, along with the number of employees who had tested positive, the number of residents who had tested positive and deaths.

In the report, the state details three long-term care facilities in Warren County where outbreaks have been reported; Heritage House Nursing Center, Shady Lawn Health and Rehabilitation and The Bluffs Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center.

In total, the facilities, which all report active outbreaks, had a total of 55 cases and seven deaths.

Shady Lawn reported one case involving an employee. The Bluffs reported two employee cases.

The majority of the cases — and all of the virus-related deaths — were connected to Heritage House.

In the report, Heritage House reported 14 employee cases, 38 residents cases and seven deaths.

When contacted by The Vicksburg Post Thursday morning for comment, officials with Heritage House declined to comment.

In Claiborne County, it appears the recent spike in numbers in the county’s overall virus totals is connected to one outbreak at Claiborne County Senior Care, where 11 employees and 40 residents have tested positive. Four virus-related deaths have also now been reported at the facility.

Overall, the numbers in Claiborne County have been better in recent days. Thursday, the county reported just one additional case, bringing the number of cases reported during the pandemic to 115 cases and five virus-related deaths.

Yazoo County Thursday reported 296 cases with four virus-related deaths. Sharkey County remains at seven confirmed cases, but all of those cases should now be considered presumed recovered.

Issaquena continues to be the only county in the state to not yet report a positive case of COVID-19.

In Madison Parish, the number of confirmed cases reported during the pandemic stood Thursday at 106.