Friday brought another 734 new cases of COVID-19 and word from the Department of Public Health of 12 recent COVID-19 deaths, raising the state's total caseload to 135,011 people and the virus' death toll here to 9,577 individuals.

DPH said Friday that 4.6 percent of individuals tested during the 24-hour reporting period were found to be positive for the coronavirus, but said that the seven-day average of the positive test rate of all tests conducted remained at 1.1 percent. There were 16 more people with COVID-19 hospitalized as of midday Friday compared to the day before, settling out at an even 500.

As a three-day average, the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients is up 65 percent from late August.