Rapides Parish reports 19 new COVID cases; Louisiana cases plummet 37.3%

Mike Stucka USA TODAY NETWORK
·4 min read
Vanessa Jean-Baptiste, a registered nurse in the intensive care unit at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, dons PPE equipment before entering the room of a patient with COVID-19 March 1, 2022. Two years into the COVID19 pandemic, Jean-Baptiste continues to work three 7:00 pm to 7:00 am shifts a week in the hospital's ICU.
Vanessa Jean-Baptiste, a registered nurse in the intensive care unit at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, dons PPE equipment before entering the room of a patient with COVID-19 March 1, 2022. Two years into the COVID19 pandemic, Jean-Baptiste continues to work three 7:00 pm to 7:00 am shifts a week in the hospital's ICU.

Louisiana reported far fewer coronavirus cases in the week ending Sunday, adding 755 new cases. That's down 37.3% from the previous week's tally of 1,205 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 increased 5% from the week before, with 219,630 cases reported. With 1.4% of the country's population, Louisiana had 0.34% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 16 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.

Rapides Parish reported 19 cases and three deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 26 cases and seven deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 30,895 cases and 573 deaths.

Avoyelles Parish reported five cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported four cases and four deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 10,772 cases and 206 deaths.

Grant Parish reported one case and three deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported six cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 5,532 cases and 93 deaths.

Winn Parish reported six cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported seven cases and one death. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 4,153 cases and 62 deaths.

Across Louisiana, cases fell in 44 parishes, with the best declines in Orleans Parish, with 125 cases from 270 a week earlier; in Jefferson Parish, with 64 cases from 118; and in East Baton Rouge Parish, with 61 cases from 107.

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

Louisiana ranked 48th among states in share of people receiving at least one shot, with 60.7% of its residents at least partially vaccinated. The national rate is 76.9%, 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 17,157 vaccine doses, including 4,393 first doses. In the previous week, the state administered 16,544 vaccine doses, including 4,836 first doses. In all, Louisiana reported it has administered 6,138,818 total doses.

Within Louisiana, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Caldwell Parish with 776 cases per 100,000 per week; LaSalle Parish with 74; and Winn Parish with 43. 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 Orleans Parish, with 125 cases; Caldwell Parish, with 77 cases; and Lafayette Parish, with 68. Weekly case counts rose in 10 parishes from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Caldwell, Lafayette and LaSalle parishes.

In Louisiana, 80 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 109 people were reported dead.

A total of 1,167,962 people in Louisiana have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 17,076 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 79,954,418 people have tested positive and 976,702 people have died.

>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States

Louisiana's COVID-19 hospital admissions falling

USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, March 27.

Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:

  • Last week: 226

  • The week before that: 245

  • Four weeks ago: 575

Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:

  • Last week: 39,713

  • The week before that: 41,915

  • Four weeks ago: 66,508

Hospitals in three states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in six states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 16 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 Alexandria Town Talk: Rapides Parish reported 19 additional COVID-19 cases this week