The Louisiana Department of Health reported an additional 2,553 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 92 confirmed deaths in its midday update on Friday.
The death toll on Friday is the second highest total reported in a single day in the state. The only day with a higher total is April 14, when 129 deaths were recorded.
The number of hospitalizations increased by 36, and the number of patients in need of ventilators increased by 1.
There are also 34,989 “likely” cases of coronaviruses in total in Louisiana, according to the agency’s panel.
Here are some more important state statistics on Friday:
- Total confirmed cases: 306,442
- Total “probable” cases: 34,989
- Total confirmed deaths: 7,411
- Currently hospitalized: 2,069
- Currently on fans: 220
- Vaccine series started: 74,517 (updated twice a week)
- Vaccine series completed: 7,068
- Presumed recovered: 280,373 on January 4 (updated weekly)
Note: The Advocate and The Times-Picayune team calculates the daily case count and increases confirmed mortality based on the difference between today’s total and yesterday’s total confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths. The Louisiana Department of Health publishes a daily case count on its panel that includes probable cases as indicated by a positive antigen test. This case count may differ from the one listed here.
Here are some of the parishes with the largest single-day increase in confirmed coronavirus cases, based on Friday’s report:
- Jefferson: 361
- Orleans: 238
- Caddo: 214
- St. Tammany: 195
- East Baton Rouge: 166
- Lafayette: 122
- Bossier: 99
- Ouachita: 91
You can see more graphs and tables detailing the data by clicking here.
Louisiana began reopening to Phase 1 on May 15 and 16, then moved to Phase 2 on June 5. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards extended Louisiana’s Phase 2 restrictions twice in August before moving the state to Phase 3 on September 11. the state back to a modified Phase 2 near the end of November.
This is a developing story. More details and analysis are to come.