COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The Ohio Department of Health on Thursday reported 11,013 new COVID-19 cases for the past week, extending a streak of week-over-week increases to five.

This week is Ohio’s first reporting week over 10,000 cases since mid-February, and it’s the first time since early March that the 21-day daily average — now at 1,268 — has eclipsed 1,000.

The state averaged about 1,573 new coronavirus cases over the past seven days, the highest rate since Feb. 22. Cases are up 26% over last week and 188% over a month ago.

State and local health authorities, however, have not been surprised by the recent increase in cases. They told NBC4 last week it’s part of the ebb and flow of a disease going from pandemic to endemic.

ODH began reporting COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, deaths and vaccinations weekly instead of daily in mid-March after new infections slowed to a low level after the omicron wave. Although cases are ticking up, fewer people have been hospitalized with the virus and dying from it.

The 296 hospitalizations reported by ODH in the past seven days (about 42 per day) are down from 314 last week and 428 two weeks ago.

65 more Ohioans died of COVID-19 in the past week, a decline from 68 deaths last week, 94 deaths two weeks ago, 100 deaths three weeks ago and 124 deaths a month ago. Ohio’s 21-day death average now sits at 11 per day, the best mark since late August 2021.

6,514 Ohioans started the COVID-19 vaccination process in the past seven days, per ODH data. Another 7,512 finished vaccination by getting their second dose. Around 6 in 10 Ohioans are partially or fully vaccinated.