HomeHealth NewsUMMC Reopens Parking Garage Field HospitalUMMC Reopens Parking Garage Field HospitalFri, August 13, 2021 by News RoomSHARE NOW The inside of a temporary field hospital. PHOTO: UnsplashMississippi will open a 50-bed field hospital and the federal government will send medical professionals to help treat patients as COVID-19 cases continue surging in a state with one of the lowest vaccination rates in the U.S., officials said Wednesday.The University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) in Jackson will reopen its field hospital again inside a parking garage at the hospital.COVID-19 cases in Mississippi have risen sharply in recent weeks because of the highly contagious delta variant of the virus.With the help of 36 healthcare workers from the Disaster Mobile Assistance Team, the hospital will be able to treat more COVID-positive patients from across the state on a 24-hour basis. The facility will also offer antibody testing starting early next week. The team will be at the field hospital for 14 days. If there’s a request for an extension, it will later be determined how long they’ll stay.The state Health Department on Wednesday reported 3,163 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Mississippi. Mississippi has about 3 million residents. The department has reported 371,712 cases of COVID-19 and 7,710 coronavirus-related deaths in the state since the pandemic started. Contact Jay Allen at [email protected] MORE FROM DELTA DAILY NEWSUS Military To Make Vaccine Required