photo by: Associated Press

In this Wednesday, March 11, 2020 file photo, a technician prepares COVID-19 coronavirus patient samples for testing at a laboratory in New York's Long Island. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas on Monday reported its biggest seven-day increase in novel coronavirus cases since the pandemic began as the total number exceeded 35,000.

The state Department of Health and Environment said Kansas had another 1,282 confirmed and probable cases since Friday, an increase of 3.8%, for a total of 35,167.

The state reported 3,437 new cases since Aug. 10, for a seven-day average of 491 new cases a day. The previous high for the pandemic was 479 cases a day for the seven days ending July 17. Kansas has seen reported cases double over the past six weeks.

However, fewer cases appear to be resulting in COVID-19-related deaths. The state health department reported an additional three deaths Monday to bring the pandemic total to 405. Those deaths represent 1.15% of the total reported confirmed and probable cases, the lowest percentage since the state reported its first death in March.

The new report comes amid an ongoing debate over the effectiveness of mandating that people wear masks in public.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly issued a statewide mask mandate on July 2, but state law allows counties to opt out, and most of the state’s 105 counties have.