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Mississippi reported 1,348 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, a number that Gov. Tate Reeves acknowledged was “bad.” The state’s total number of cases rose to 74,555.

State health officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs called it “unwelcome news,” but said that totals could vary each day and Wednesdays often had higher numbers than other days.

Reeves said over the last three weeks, the state has roughly cut its COVID numbers in half, but he urged Mississippians to continue practicing social distancing.

Dobbs said most people in Mississippi who die of COVID are not in nursing homes, but are people contracting the virus in the community. The state had 34 additional deaths.