Ouachita Parish's COVID cases up 87%; Louisiana cases surge 67.2%
New coronavirus cases leaped in Louisiana in the week ending Sunday, rising 67.2% as 11,115 cases were reported. The previous week had 6,649 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.
Louisiana ranked 12th 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 1.2% from the week before, with 721,538 cases reported. With 1.4% of the country's population, Louisiana had 1.54% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 24 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.
John Hopkins University has been collecting data from Louisiana on an erratic schedule, skewing week-to-week comparisons.
Ouachita Parish reported 331 cases and four deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 177 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 48,438 cases and 760 deaths.
Richland Parish reported 47 cases and one death in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 11 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 6,290 cases and 99 deaths.
Union Parish reported 43 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 18 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 6,533 cases and 135 deaths.
Caldwell Parish reported 19 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported six cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 3,377 cases and 55 deaths.
Within Louisiana, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Natchitoches Parish with 451 cases per 100,000 per week; Bossier Parish with 412; and St. James Parish with 384. 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 East Baton Rouge Parish, with 1,028 cases; Jefferson Parish, with 1,003 cases; and Orleans Parish, with 878. Weekly case counts rose in 61 parishes from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Caddo, Jefferson and East Baton Rouge parishes.
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Across Louisiana, cases fell in three parishes, with the best declines in Concordia Parish, with 19 cases from 23 a week earlier; in Morehouse Parish, with 30 cases from 33; and in West Baton Rouge Parish, with 48 cases from 51.
In Louisiana, 19 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 17 people were reported dead.
A total of 1,221,875 people in Louisiana have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 17,392 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 86,967,639 people have tested positive and 1,015,938 people have died.
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Louisiana's COVID-19 hospital admissions rising
USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, June 26. Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:
Last week: 780
The week before that: 673
Four weeks ago: 470
Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:
Last week: 63,626
The week before that: 57,605
Four weeks ago: 54,872
Hospitals in 34 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 25 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 Monroe News-Star: Ouachita Parish reported 331 additional COVID-19 cases this week
