(WHNT) — Exactly 12,000 Alabamians have died as a result of COVID-19, according to the latest numbers from the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH).

ADPH reports that just over 7,000 of those deaths occurred last year while 4,822 died in 2021.

In his August message, State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris said most counties are at a high risk or very high risk of virus transmission and the "route to a pre-pandemic lifestyle follows the vaccination road."

"The most effective tools to reduce the spread of COVID-19 continue to be COVID-19 vaccines," Harris said. "Alabama has more than 1,400 locations where free vaccine is available to all, with or without insurance."

"We urge people who are hesitant to be vaccinated to contact their own healthcare providers or ADPH before concluding they should not be vaccinated," Harris continued. "Fully vaccinated people are less likely to spread the virus to others, even if they get COVID-19... Follow the data and science and get vaccinated as soon as possible."

According to ADPH's COVID-19 dashboard, all but two of Alabama's counties are under a "high risk" of transmission. The lone exceptions are Choctaw and Sumter, which are rated at a "substantial risk."

In the last seven days, more than 20,000 new cases of the virus have been reported statewide with a positivity rate of 23.4%. Since March 2020, Alabama has logged 659,750 cases of COVID-19.

See the state's full COVID-19 dashboard here.