After nearly a week of week-over-week growth, the number of new COVID-19 coronavirus cases slowed slightly Sunday as the state health department released its latest statistics.

The Mississippi State Department of Health reported 779 new cases on Sunday, bringing the total cases since the pandemic began in March to 143,180.

Of the total cases, the state believes approximately 116,683 have recovered and while many people who are infected with the virus may only have moderate or even no visible symptoms, others can get gravely ill and die as a result.

Mississippi State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs wrote Sunday morning on social media that the recent high number of cases were followed by increasing numbers of hospital admissions.

“Record cases and progressing to record hospitalizations,” Dobbs wrote on Twitter. “Please keep Thanksgiving small, local and outdoors.”

For the last several days the rising numbers of COVID-19 cases have caused stress on the state’s hospitals with a number of hospitals either at capacity or near-capacity in regular rooms and many reporting no ICU beds available.

Over the last 14 days, approximately 16,500 Mississippians have tested positive for the virus, the level is hovering around the highest 14-day level since early August.

The state reported 19 new deaths Sunday. A total of 3,676 Mississippians have died from the virus, the state reported.

The 7-day, daily average of new cases dipped slightly to 1,267 with Sunday’s update.

The 14-day, daily average of new cases dipped to 1,178 on Sunday