BISMARCK (AP) — North Dakota’s death toll from COVID-19 neared 500 on Thursday, with health officials reporting an additional 11 deaths.

The North Dakota Department of Health also reported six hospitalizations in the last day due to the coronavirus, increasing the total number of patients in medical facilities to a record 184.

October has been the deadliest month to date from the coronavirus, accounting for 228 of the 499 deaths recorded since the pandemic began.

Health officials reported a record 1,222 new infections from the virus on Thursday, and a daily positivity rate of 15.6%.

The COVID Tracking Project reported that North Dakota has had more than 1,442 new cases per 100,000 people over the past two weeks, which leads the nation. The rolling average number of daily new cases has increased by more than 40% in the last two weeks, according to Johns Hopkins University researchers.

There were 240 available inpatient beds plus 23 intensive care unit beds in North Dakota, according to state data.