Mississippi reported another relatively high number of COVID-19 coronavirus cases Friday – higher than the recent daily average but approximately half of the record number reported Thursday.

The Mississippi State Department of Health reported an additional 550 new cases were confirmed in the last 24 hours bringing the total cases to 25,066. The state estimates more than 17,000 of those cases have fully recovered.

On Thursday, the state reported a single-day record for new cases with 1,092 cases.

The state announced Friday 6 new deaths were attributed to the virus bringing the total death toll to 1,022.

Mississippi’s 7-day average of new cases rose to 533 per day, a new record high, and more than 30 cases higher than the record set the prior day.

The 14-day average of daily new cases dropped slightly Friday to 427 cases per day. The high of 431 was set on June 25.

Mississippi’s death toll from coronavirus includes 507 people from long-term care facilities or 49.6 percent of the total deaths.

The number of people with COVID-19 or suspected of having COVID-19 requiring hospitalization also rose with Friday’s latest statistics.

Friday the state reported 769 patients were hospitalized that either had confirmed COVID-19 or were suspected of having the virus, but hadn’t been confirmed by a test. On Thursday, 755 patients were hospitalized across Mississippi.

That’s the highest number of hospitalized patients on record since the start of the pandemic in March.