The pace of new COVID-19 hospital admissions hit a new record Friday with an average of 8.5 new admissions per hour, the highest rate since the pandemic started.

Mississippi State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs released a graphic showing the new record on Saturday morning.

“COVID hospitalizations reach new peak,” he wrote on social media. “Be safe! Hospitals are already full.”

Mississippi hospitals reported 204 new confirmed COVID-19 patients were admitted over a 24-hour period ending Friday.

The previous record of 195 cases was made in early January.

Health officials have warned that the more highly contagious delta variant of the virus is spreading like wildfire across Mississippi.

In the last two weeks, Mississippi has reported approximately 25,000 new coronavirus cases.