Helen Keller Hospital said it has 17 coronavirus patients, and seven of those are in critical condition.

In August, the hospital hit an all-time low with only five coronavirus patients.

"We're seeing some pickup. Operationally, we're prepared for it," said Helen Keller Hospital President Kyle Buchanan. "We saw a stated decline throughout August and we were very hopeful that would remain the trend in September and October."

Those numbers started to jump after Labor Day, according to Buchanan. He said just this week, the hospital had 22 patients hospitalized with the virus, and as of Friday, that number was back down to 17.

"We think it is probably attributable to the increase in activity from Labor Day weekend throughout September," said Buchanan.

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Buchanan said it's not a dramatic increase like the state experienced after Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, but it is a reminder that coronavirus isn't going away.

"We have a long way to go. We don't foresee Covid going away anytime soon. The exposure and risk is still very serious for all of our community members and we have to do the right things to protect ourselves and others," said Buchanan.

The governor's mask order runs out Oct. 2 and it's unclear if it will be extended or lifted. Buchanan said it's a fact that the masks work.