The number of positive COVID-19 cases in St. Landry Parish have been on the increase since June 25, according to data on the Louisiana Department of Health’s website.
From June 25 to July 1, 13.8% of the tests in St. Landry Parish were positive. From July 2 to 8, the positive rate rose to 19%.
Total tests in the parish are 658 state tests and 21,024 commercial tests.
Gov. John Bel Edwards on Tuesday attributed the rate of positive tests in the state as a reason to extend Phase 2 for the reopening of the economy.
The state is second in the nation, behind New York, in the percentage of residents infected with the coronavirus.
The rate of positive cases, which had been hovering around 10%, is now 15.46%, officials said.
The state’s aim is for this rate to be below 10%.
Dr. Alex Billioux, assistant secretary for the state Office of Public Health, said, “We have clearly turned a corner in the wrong direction.”
Hospital capacity in the state “is becoming more strained,” Billioux said.
The state reported 1,691 more cases of the virus Tuesday, and 96,583 in all.
Worries about the state running out of hospital beds was the top concern in March and April during the initial outbreak of the virus.
Edwards said the 1,527 people reported as hospitalized Tuesday is the most since May 3 and that the challenge is statewide.
“This is a particular concern,” he said.
“We are seeing a tremendous amount of COVID-19, a tremendous amount of spread across the state,” Billioux said.
The governor’s announcement means the state will remain in Phase 2 until at least Aug. 7, the day after many schools begin the 2020-21 academic year.
The current directive is set to expire on Friday.
Edwards and others noted that, while there are no easy answers for education leaders, recommendations of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approved last week link school plans to whether the state is in Phase 1, 2 or 3.
The St. Landry Parish School last week decided to reopen schools on Aug. 20 with online classes.
The extension of Phase 2 limits restaurants, barbershops, retailers and churches to 50% of capacity.
It also keeps in place recent changes, including a statewide face mask mandate, the closure of bars and a limit of 50 people per gathering.
Edwards said the state does not have to return to the strictest restrictions – Phase 1 and Phase 0 – to get the virus under control.
He said wearing face masks while in public is the key.
“I believe in the people of Louisiana,who have already been able to flatten the curve once and who I know can do it again,” Edwards said in a statement that accompanied his announcement.
Edwards’ directives have sparked controversy, and state Attorney General Jeff Landry has issued a legal opinion that says the statewide face mask mandate is likely unconstitutional and unenforceable.
Hospitalizations and deaths continue to climb in Region 4. With 287 COVID-19 inpatients as of Tuesday, hospitalizations had increased by 45% over two weeks. There were 49 deaths reported over two weeks as of Tuesday, the fifth straight day that the 14-day death toll was in the 40s. There were 28 deaths reported in the previous two-week period.
The highest COVID-19 death toll in Region 4 over any two-week period is 56, which was recorded on April 30. From there, the two-week death count declined to as low as 15 on June 21 before rising again over the next month.
Cumulative deaths and cases by area parishes include: Acadia, 53 deaths, 1,920 cases; Avoyelles, 20 deaths, 699 deaths; Evangeline Parish, two deaths, 520 cases; Lafayette, 61 deaths, 5,125 cases; Pointe Coupee, 28 deaths, 539 cases; St. Landry, 66 deaths, 1,552 cases; and St. Martin, 31 deaths, 1,287 cases.
In Census tract data, there have been 31 cases on the east side of Eunice; 29 on the west side; 32 on the northwest side; 48 in rural St. Landry Parish to near Lawtell; and 85 cases in northern Acadia Parish.
In the seven-parish Region 4 there are 146 ICU beds in use and 35 available; 1,255 hospital beds in use and 432 available; and 85 ventilators in use and 109 available.
Region 4 includes the parishes of St. Landry, Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Martin and Vermillion.
