Lafourche Parish's COVID cases fall 48.5%; Louisiana cases plummet 15.8%

Mike Stucka
·3 min read

Louisiana reported far fewer coronavirus cases in the week ending Sunday, adding 3,146 new cases. That's down 15.8% from the previous week's tally of 3,738 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Louisiana ranked 47th among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States decreased 3.8% from the week before, with 821,545 cases reported. With 1.4% of the country's population, Louisiana had 0.38% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 18 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.

More: Parents take COVID-19 vaccine concerns to Terrebonne School Board

The previous week used for comparisons in this report was likely skewed by cases and deaths artificially delayed from the week that included Thanksgiving. If the previous week was artificially high, cases and deaths either decreased less, or increased more, than these numbers reflect.

Lafourche Parish reported 53 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 103 cases and two deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 18,294 cases and 321 deaths.

Across Louisiana, cases fell in 40 parishes, with the best declines in St. Tammany, with 183 cases from 272 a week earlier; in Bossier, with 95 cases from 166; and in Terrebonne, with 106 cases from 170.

>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases

Louisiana ranked 47th among states in share of people receiving at least one shot, with 56.4% of its residents at least partially vaccinated. The national rate is 72%, a USA TODAY analysis of CDC data shows. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which are the most used in the United States, require two doses administered a few weeks apart.

In the week ending Sunday, Louisiana reported administering another 335,784 vaccine doses, including 74,642 first doses. In the previous week, the state administered zero vaccine doses, including zero first doses. In all, Louisiana reported it has administered 5,416,825 total doses.

Within Louisiana, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in East Carroll Parish with 758 cases per 100,000 per week; West Carroll Parish with 397; and Union Parish with 190. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.

More: Terrebonne Parish's COVID cases fall 37.6%; Louisiana cases plummet 15.8%

Adding the most new cases overall were Jefferson Parish, with 241 cases; Orleans, with 208 cases; and Caddo, with 192. Weekly case counts rose in 22 parishes from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in St. Martin, East Carroll and Iberia parishes.

In Louisiana, 51 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 49 people were reported dead.

A total of 775,935 people in Louisiana have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 14,877 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 49,921,405 people have tested positive and 797,346 people have died.

>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States

Louisiana's COVID-19 hospital admissions staying flat

USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, Dec. 12.

Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:

  • Last week: 301.

  • The week before that: 298.

  • Four weeks ago: 259.

Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:

  • Last week: 93,748.

  • The week before that: 86,490.

  • Four weeks ago: 71,084.

Hospitals in 38 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 37 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 39 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.

The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Daily Comet: Lafourche Parish COVID cases increased by 53 this week