Editor’s note: The Georgia Department of Public Health releases COVID-19 updates daily at 3 p.m. This story will be updated to reflect the numbers as of 3 p.m. on Thursday, June 25.

COVINGTON, Ga. — As testing around the state continues to increase daily, so, too, does the rate at which Georgians are contracting COVID-19.

On Thursday, June 25, the Georgia Department of Public Health reported a cumulative total of 71,095 confirmed cases of the novel virus. This marked an increase of 1,714 cases within 24 hours — the sixth time in seven days that Georgia saw a bump of at least 1,000 new cases.

The recent spike is being felt at the local level as well. On Thursday, June 18, the DPH reported a total of 452 cases in Newton County. Seven days later, that number had jumped up to 538. The previous seven-day span saw 45 new cases reported for the county, with 25 new cases coming in during the week prior.

These increases can be attributed in part to a continuous effort to ramp up testing in Georgia.

As of Thursday, the DPH noted that 904,154 tests had been conducted for the coronavirus. This total reflects 757,924 viral tests and 146,230 antibody tests. There were 17,570 new tests — 14,690 of which were viral — reported within 24 hours between updates.

In addition to the increase in cases, the DPH stated Thursday that Georgia had totaled 10,457 hospitalizations and 2,745 deaths as a direct result of COVID-19. Both of these numbers appear to indicate negative trends, with 144 new patients and 47 new deaths in a 24-hour span.

Gov. Brian Kemp took to Twitter on Wednesday and urged Georgians to remain active in the fight against COVID-19. He promoted the continuance of wearing masks and practicing social distancing, also encouraging citizens to continue following the guidance of public health officials.

“We cannot grow complacent,” Kemp said. “This virus is deadly and remains a threat to our great state. Let’s stay vigilant in the fight to stop the spread of COVID-19.”