This week, the Mississippi State Department of Health reported the highest seven-day average yet of COVID-19 infections detected since testing began.

The Mississippi State Department of Health reported 465 people tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, June 26. MSDH reported that 13 additional people have died of complications from the virus.

On Thursday, 550 new people received a positive test result for COVID-19.

The MSDH had trouble reporting totals last weekend, instead issues a report on Monday, June 22, that covered five days. A total of 1,646 reported for that period, or an average of 329 cases per day.

Taking that average for last Saturday and Sunday, we get a total of 3,902 cases from Saturday, June 20 to Friday, June 26, or a seven-day average of 557 cases per day. That's about a 70% increase over the averages from the two weeks prior, which saw averages of 325 and 330 cases per day.

The average number of people reported dying from the virus has remained fairly steady, which this week's average lower than the previous week (10.4 per day compared to 11.6 per day), despite a dramatic increase in the number of cases.

On Friday, 527 were in the hospital with a COVID-19 infection, while 204 hospital patients had suspected infection. 169 people were in intensive care on Friday, the second-highest number in the past 20 days.

Earlier this week, State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs warned in an interview with the Jackson Free Press that hospitals may be overwhelmed this fall with the virus coming back into season. He soon amended that to suggest that hospitals could be overwhelmed within weeks.

Read the JFP's coverage of COVID-19 at jacksonfreepress.com/covid19. Get more details on preventive measures here. Email state intern Julian Mills at [email protected]. Email state reporter Nick Judin at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @nickjudin.