The daily average number of new COVID-19 cases in Alabama dropped Thursday to the lowest level since late July.

The Alabama Department of Public Health reported 1,702 new cases in its daily update, bringing the total for the pandemic to 796,475. There’s been an average of 2,080 new cases a day for the past week, a figure not seen since the delta variant of the coronavirus began its rapid spread through Alabama in late July and early August.

ADPH reported 99 deaths from COVID, for a total of 14,299 and a seven-day average of 72. The daily average reached a high of 134 one week ago. It normally takes about two weeks for deaths to be reported to ADPH and confirmed as being from COVID.

There were 1,382 COVID patients, including 33 pediatric cases, in Alabama hospitals on Wednesday, the lowest number since July 31. Of those, 501 were in intensive care units.