Mississippi’s health department reported 1,278 new positive COVID-19 cases and 18 new deaths Tuesday morning.

The state is now very close to reaching 500,000 cases and 10,000 related fatalities. At 499,838 cases recorded over the course of the pandemic, the likelihood is high that 162 or more new positive test results will be reported Wednesday, pushing the total past the half-million mark.

Only 43 more deaths need to be reported to the Mississippi State Department of Health in order for the state’s death toll to rise from 9,957 to 10,000.

Nine new cases have been reported in Lincoln County since Friday, making the county’s total 5,417 cases, though the death count of 134 has remained steady across the previous week.

Across the United States, more than 723,200 people have died from the virus and more than 44.85 million people have been infected.

COVID-19 is caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. People who have severe underlying medical conditions seem to be at a higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.