‘We’re going to see a lot of deaths’: Covid leaves Mississippi hospitals at brink of failure

Only 35.6% of residents are fully vaccinated in the state, which is opening a field hospital as officials brace for climbing death toll

Health officials in Mississippi have warned the state's hospital system is on the brink of failure due to a surge in Covid-19 hospitalizations in the US south as the Delta variant rips through the country.

The deep south state, where only 35.6% of residents are fully vaccinated, is opening a 50-bed field hospital at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) car park with the assistance of the federal government as officials brace for a climbing death toll and ICU units reach capacity.