COVID cases fall 19.1% in Lafourche Parish, 28.1% across Louisiana
Louisiana reported far fewer coronavirus cases in the week ending Sunday, adding 63,399 new cases. That's down 28.1% from the previous week's tally of 88,195 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.
Louisiana ranked 33rd 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 14.9% from the week before, with 4,770,122 cases reported. With 1.4% of the country's population, Louisiana had 1.33% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 27 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.
More: Hospitals in Lafourche, Terrebonne cope with increased admissions amid COVID omicron surge
Many counties did not report during data during the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, disrupting the current and previous weeks' statistics. Week-to-week comparisons are skewed and these numbers will be unreliable even as they're accurate to what states reported.
Lafourche Parish reported 1,450 cases and two deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 1,793 cases and two deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 23,792 cases and 325 deaths.
Across Louisiana, cases fell in 53 parishes, with the best declines in East Baton Rouge Parish, with 6,667 cases from 11,728 a week earlier; in Jefferson Parish, with 4,344 cases from 8,585; and in Orleans Parish, with 3,499 cases from 7,102.
>> 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 59.2% of its residents at least partially vaccinated. The national rate is 75.5%, 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 63,202 vaccine doses, including 37,303 first doses. In the previous week, the state administered 61,153 vaccine doses, including 15,841 first doses. In all, Louisiana reported it has administered 5,882,950 total doses.
Within Louisiana, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in West Carroll Parish with 2,927 cases per 100,000 per week; East Feliciana Parish with 2,738; and East Carroll Parish with 1,938. 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 6,667 cases; Jefferson Parish, with 4,344 cases; and St. Tammany Parish, with 4,233. Weekly case counts rose in 11 parishes from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in West Carroll, LaSalle and Beauregard parishes.
In Louisiana, 187 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 83 people were reported dead.
A total of 1,060,022 people in Louisiana have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 15,324 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 70,700,678 people have tested positive and 866,540 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, Jan. 23.
Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:
Last week: 2,543.
The week before that: 2,752.
Four weeks ago: 702.
Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:
Last week: 188,864.
The week before that: 197,883.
Four weeks ago: 99,261.
Hospitals in 25 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 22 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 30 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 1,450 this week
