New COVID-19 coronavirus cases in Mississippi continue to decline, the state reported Monday.

Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) officials reported Monday that 770 new coronavirus cases were found over the weekend.

The additional cases reported Monday brings the total number of cases found in the state since the pandemic began to 498,560, meaning that more than 16 percent of all Mississippians have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began.

Statistics indicate that approximately 1 in every 300 Mississippians has died from the virus.

MSDH reported 22 new deaths on Monday, bringing the total death toll to 9,939.

Mississippi health leaders have said that a combination of a low overall vaccination rate among Mississippians along with a rapidly spreading Delta variant is causing the recent surge in cases.

Through Friday, 45 percent of the total Mississippi population has been fully vaccinated. The number of fully vaccinated Mississippians has grown rapidly over the last several weeks but remains below the U.S. average of 57 percent.

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 dropped to 464 on Monday. The last time the weekly average was lower was July 18.

The 14-day, daily average of new cases dropped to 556 with Monday’s update.

Cumulative Cases and Deaths by County