For the first time in the month, Warren County is no longer a threat to be considered a hot spot for the COVID-19 virus.

Saturday, the Mississippi State Department of Health announced just six new confirmed cases in the county, bringing the 14-day total for new cases to 153 and the ratio of cases to 100,000 residents to 314. Both those figures are now below the threshold set by the state for hot spot counties for the first time since July 24.

The state had used the mark of 200 new cases and a ratio of 500 cases per 100,000 residents or more as an indicator of counties that could be considered COVID-19 hot spots. Even though Warren County never received that declaration, it remained well above those figures for weeks. The county hit its recent peak in those categories on July 29 and July 30, when the county had a 14-day total of 281 cases.

Sadly, though, Saturday’s report was not all good news for the county. In its report, the state also confirmed two new virus-related deaths, bringing the pandemic death toll in the county to 41.

Thus far, August has been the deadliest month thus far for Warren County, with now 16 deaths.

As for cases, Warren County has now reported 1,242 cases since the first case was reported in Warren County on March 29.

Overall, the state reported an additional 945 cases and 23 deaths Saturday. Since the first case was reported in Mississippi on March 11, the state has now confirmed 77,268 cases and 2,237 deaths.