The Louisiana Department of Health announced 4,051 new cases of COVID-19 were reported overnight, bringing the total number of cases reported since the pandemic began to 315,275.
Hospitalizations rose by 14 to 1,731 statewide with 202 patients on ventilators, down eight from Wednesday.
The death toll rose by 40 to 7,488.
LDH also updated the total vaccine doses administered to 45,289, an increase of 7,320 from Tuesday.
Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Thursday that the state would receive enough Moderna vaccine doses to begin expanding distribution into tier 1 of Phase 1B, which includes those 70 and older, on January 4.
“I am relieved to end this year by expanding access to the COVID vaccine to more Louisianans, though I know we have a long road ahead of us before we put this pandemic in our rear view mirrors,” Edwards told reporters, stressing it would be a very limited supply at first.