The Louisiana Department of Health on Monday began posting an interactive map of COVID-19 cases by census tract.
The map is part of the department’s dashboard of COVID-19 data at ldh.la.gov/coronavirus/
The map helps answer the public’s question about how close the virus is hitting to home.
On Tuesday, the map stated a number of cases by tract, but on Wednesday the map stated ranges such as 1-5 for case numbers.
A Department spokesman in an e-mail stated, “This allows us to provide the information needed by communities, while using an abundance of caution around privacy of patients and their families. The dashboard will continue to evolve to provide useful information to the people we serve in innovative ways, while protecting the privacy of individuals.”
The map does not include demographic information such as age, gender or race. The map also does not include where deaths occurred.
“Only cases of persons testing positive for COVID-19 with accurate and complete address information are matched to tracts and counted. Tracts with a population below 1,000 did not have cases matched to them,” information below the map states.
The map shows 2 cases in a tract on the east side of Eunice; 3 cases on the west side; and 5 cases in tract south of Eunice, but includes an area of Acadia Parish from outside Church Point, Branch and Iota.
Other area tracts:
-- 3 cases in a tract that includes Chataignier.
--8 cases in a tract that includes Mamou.
-- No cases in a tract west, north and east (Savoy-Swords) of Eunice.
-- 7 cases in a tract that includes Lawtell.
-- 1 cases in tract that includes Church Point.
-- 1 cases in a tract that includes Iota.
-- 2 cases in a tract that includes Branch.
-- 1 case in a tract that includes Church Point.
-- 1 case in a tract that includes Basile.
-- 1 case that includes the west side of Acadia Parish south of Basile to Evangeline.
The map shows Opelousas as an area with a concentration of cases. Seven tracts have a total of 75 cases.