Ouachita Parish's COVID cases up 21.2%; Louisiana cases surge 18.4%
New coronavirus cases leaped in Louisiana in the week ending Sunday, rising 18.4% as 7,921 cases were reported. The previous week had 6,690 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.
Louisiana ranked 31st 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 0.9% from the week before, with 753,773 cases reported. With 1.4% of the country's population, Louisiana had 1.05% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 31 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.
Ouachita Parish reported 143 cases and one death in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 118 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 47,930 cases and 756 deaths.
Richland Parish reported 22 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 11 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 6,232 cases and 98 deaths.
Union Parish reported 16 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 28 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 6,472 cases and 135 deaths.
Caldwell Parish reported nine cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported two cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 3,352 cases and 55 deaths.
Within Louisiana, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Iberville Parish with 621 cases per 100,000 per week; Bossier Parish with 507; and De Soto Parish with 360. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.
Adding the most new cases overall were Jefferson Parish, with 928 cases; Orleans Parish, with 831 cases; and East Baton Rouge Parish, with 794. Weekly case counts rose in 52 parishes from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Bossier, Iberville and Caddo parishes.
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Across Louisiana, cases fell in 10 parishes, with the best declines in Jefferson Parish, with 928 cases from 1,003 a week earlier; in St. Tammany Parish, with 506 cases from 542; and in Plaquemines Parish, with 33 cases from 50.
In Louisiana, 15 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 16 people were reported dead.
A total of 1,204,111 people in Louisiana have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 17,356 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 85,515,795 people have tested positive and 1,011,275 people have died.
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Louisiana's COVID-19 hospital admissions rising
USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, June 12.
Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:
Last week: 613
The week before that: 488
Four weeks ago: 261
Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:
Last week: 59,343
The week before that: 56,290
Four weeks ago: 49,207
Hospitals in 30 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 31 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 29 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 Monroe News-Star: Ouachita Parish reported 143 additional COVID-19 cases this week
