New cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus have continues to climb in Mississippi with the weekly average number of new cases at 16 times the rate of this year’s low point in mid-April.

Mississippi’s 7-day, daily average of new COVID-19 cases climbed to 1,104 after the latest statistics were released Friday.

By contract on April 21, the daily average across the state was 68 cases per day.

On Friday, the Mississippi State Department of Health reported 1,377 new coronavirus cases were found in the last 24 hours.

The Centers of Disease Control’s online tracker shows the majority of Mississippi counties have either a moderate or high level of community transmission.

“COVID-19 cases in the state are rising at an accelerating rate, along with outbreaks in long-term care facilities,” MSDH officials said. “It’s important to know the level of COVID-19 activity in your community and appropriate safety measures to take.”

Twenty-two of Mississippi’s 82 counties are listed as having high community transmission with another 38 listed as having moderate transmission. Thursday morning only three counties were considered as having high community transmission levels.