New COVID-19 coronavirus cases in Mississippi continue to rise with the 14-day average of new cases up 158 percent in just one month, the state reported early Thursday.

Mississippi State Department of Health officials reported Thursday that 557 new coronavirus cases were found in the last 24 hours.

The additional cases reported Thursday brings the total number of cases found in the state since the pandemic began to 326,270.

The Mississippi State Department of Health reported four new deaths on Thursday, bringing the total death toll to 7,460.

The number of Mississippians hospitalized with the virus have more than doubled in recent weeks.

Through Tuesday morning, approximately 35% of all Mississippians have received at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccines available.

And approximately 31% of Mississippi’s population are fully vaccinated, the state reported. Statistically, Mississippi’s total population of unvaccinated residents is either at or near the lowest of any state in the country, depending upon which source is tracking it.

For more detailed county-by-county vaccination results visit: https://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/resources/12130.pdf

The 7-day, daily average of new cases jumped to 376 on Thursday.

The 14-day, daily average of new cases increased to 309 with Thursday’s update. It was the highest number of new cases for a two-week period since March 26, when the two-week average was also 309. One month ago, on June 15, the two-week, daily average of new cases was 120. That’s an increase of 158 percent in the last month.

Cumulative Cases and Deaths by County