COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The Ohio Department of Health on Thursday reported 15,970 new COVID-19 cases for the past week, extending a streak of week-over-week increases to six.

This week followed last week’s theme, again reporting over 10,000 cases. The 21-day daily average — now at 1,700 — has again eclipsed 1,000. The average has increased from the week prior when it was 1,268.

The state averaged about 2,281 new coronavirus cases over the past seven days, the highest rate since Feb. 22. Cases are up 45% over last week.

State and local health authorities told NBC4 previously while the weekly case average has tripled from March to May as COVID-19 transitions from pandemic to endemic, it has not created a burden on local healthcare systems at this time.

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 and more people are being hospitalized with the virus, fewer people are dying from it. The 353 hospitalizations reported by ODH in the past seven days (about 50 per day) are up from 296 last week and 314 two weeks ago.

57 more Ohioans died of COVID-19 in the past week, a decrease from 65 deaths last week, 68 deaths two weeks ago, 94 deaths three weeks ago, and 100 deaths a month ago.

6,527 Ohioans started the COVID-19 vaccination process in the past seven days, per ODH data. Another 6,749 finished vaccination by getting their second dose. Around 6 in 10 Ohioans are partially or fully vaccinated.