The number of reported cases of coronavirus continues to spike in Louisiana, now numbering 9,150 statewide as of Noon Thursday, April 2.

State health officials say that more than 95% of the latest positive results come from commercial labs.

“While extremely upsetting, this increase in COVID-19 cases appears to be less a sign of new exponential growth and more a sign of a logjam from commercial labs,” said Gov. John Bel Edwards. “I am pleased to see a ramp up in testing across the state. We need this energy and commitment to continue. It’s important to understand that what’s happening in Louisiana with the increased testing is also happening around the country. That said, as more and more commercial labs come online our different data systems must learn to talk to one another.

“If there is a place to draw hope here it is that these new data reveal our COVID-19 related hospitalization and death rates, while still concerningly high, are trending more in line with the national average,” said Dr. Alex Billioux, assistant secretary of the Office of Public Health.

“The situation remains concerning, but every Louisianan has the power to change the path we are on,” said Gov. Edwards. “Think of your neighbors, and please stay at home.”

310 residents have died from COVID-19. 1,639 are currently being treated in hospitals with 507 of those on a ventilator.

In the Louisiana Department of Health's Region 1, which includes the hardest hit parishes of Orleans and Jefferson, there are 390 venitlators in use out of 575 total. Also in Region 1, 570 out of 722 ICU beds are in use. Looking at total number of hospital beds available in Region 1, 2,770 of 3,653 beds are in use.

Here is the complete breakdown across Louisiana's 64 parishes for COVID-19 cases, deaths and testing from LDH:

Orleans - 3,148 case(s) | 125 death(s) | 1,668 state tests | 11,940 commercial tests
Jefferson - 2,178 case(s) | 73 death(s) | 599 state tests | 2,478 commercial tests
St. Tammany - 399 case(s) | 9 death(s) | 154 state tests | 1,600 commercial tests
Caddo - 336 case(s) | 10 death(s) | 123 state tests | 9,397 commercial tests
East Baton Rouge - 325 case(s) | 11 death(s) | 301 state tests | 3,308 commercial tests
St. John the Baptist - 274 case(s) | 14 death(s) | 4 state tests | 21 commercial tests
Lafayette - 247 case(s) | 2 death(s) | 81 state tests | 4,719 commercial tests
Ascension - 201 case(s) | 7 death(s) | 27 state tests | 1,222 commercial tests
St. Bernard - 181 case(s) | 5 death(s) | 5 state tests | 179 commercial tests
St. Charles - 180 case(s) | 8 death(s) | 1 state tests | 60 commercial tests
Lafourche - 158 case(s) | 4 death(s) | 138 state tests | 801 commercial tests
St. James - 110 case(s) | 4 death(s) | 72 state tests | 159 commercial tests
Calcasieu - 108 case(s) | 1 death(s) | 77 state tests | 2,125 commercial tests
Terrebonne - 97 case(s) | 1 death(s) | 71 state tests | 244 commercial tests
Ouachita - 94 case(s) | 1 death(s) | 113 state tests | 1,389 commercial tests
Bossier - 87 case(s) | 2 death(s) | 28 state tests | 1,297 commercial tests
Rapides - 77 case(s) | 3 death(s) | 63 state tests | 883 commercial tests
Iberville - 69 case(s) | 4 death(s) | 2 state tests | 72 commercial tests
Plaquemines - 68 case(s) | 3 death(s) | 2 state tests | 40 commercial tests
Iberia - 67 case(s) | 1 death(s) | 80 state tests | 192 commercial tests
Acadia - 61 case(s) | 1 death(s) | 5 state tests | 168 commercial tests
St. Martin - 58 case(s) | 3 death(s) | 1 state tests | 93 commercial tests
St. Landry - 56 case(s) | 1 death(s) | 21 state tests | 265 commercial tests
Washington - 50 case(s) | 2 death(s) | 51 state tests | 194 commercial tests
De Soto - 42 case(s) | 1 death(s) | 7 state tests | 45 commercial tests
St. Mary - 42 case(s) | 0 death(s) | 7 state tests | 168 commercial tests
Tangipahoa - 42 case(s) | 1 death(s) | 6 state tests | 450 commercial tests
Parish Under Investigation - 38 case(s) | 1 death(s) | 0 state tests | 0 commercial tests
Avoyelles - 34 case(s) | 1 death(s) | 1 state tests | 45 commercial tests
Livingston - 33 case(s) | 0 death(s) | 1 state tests | 147 commercial tests
Assumption - 31 case(s) | 0 death(s) | 6 state tests | 76 commercial tests
Allen - 26 case(s) | 3 death(s) | 5 state tests | 63 commercial tests
Webster - 19 case(s) | 2 death(s) | 8 state tests | 367 commercial tests
West Baton Rouge - 19 case(s) | 1 death(s) | 0 state tests | 24 commercial tests
Evangeline - 16 case(s) | 0 death(s) | 13 state tests | 102 commercial tests
Vermilion - 16 case(s) | 1 death(s) | 3 state tests | 176 commercial tests
East Feliciana - 14 case(s) | 0 death(s) | 9 state tests | 26 commercial tests
Jefferson Davis - 13 case(s) | 0 death(s) | 21 state tests | 361 commercial tests
Lincoln - 13 case(s) | 0 death(s) | 12 state tests | 166 commercial tests
Union - 13 case(s) | 0 death(s) | 3 state tests | 17 commercial tests
Pointe Coupee - 12 case(s) | 0 death(s) | 7 state tests | 76 commercial tests
Claiborne - 11 case(s) | 2 death(s) | 5 state tests | 27 commercial tests
Beauregard - 10 case(s) | 0 death(s) | 0 state tests | 114 commercial tests
West Feliciana - 10 case(s) | 0 death(s) | 9 state tests | 94 commercial tests
Bienville - 8 case(s) | 1 death(s) | 3 state tests | 11 commercial tests
Concordia - 8 case(s) | 0 death(s) | 0 state tests | 27 commercial tests
Vernon - 7 case(s) | 0 death(s) | 0 state tests | 346 commercial tests
Catahoula - 5 case(s) | 1 death(s) | 1 state tests | 9 commercial tests
Franklin - 5 case(s) | 0 death(s) | 10 state tests | 82 commercial tests
Grant - 5 case(s) | 0 death(s) | 1 state tests | 36 commercial tests
Jackson - 4 case(s) | 0 death(s) | 15 state tests | 293 commercial tests
Morehouse - 4 case(s) | 0 death(s) | 5 state tests | 15 commercial tests
Natchitoches - 4 case(s) | 0 death(s) | 11 state tests | 112 commercial tests
Richland - 4 case(s) | 0 death(s) | 2 state tests | 104 commercial tests
Sabine - 4 case(s) | 0 death(s) | 3 state tests | 40 commercial tests
La Salle - 2 case(s) | 0 death(s) | 9 state tests | 68 commercial tests
Winn - 2 case(s) | 0 death(s) | 3 state tests | 40 commercial tests
Caldwell - 1 case(s) | 0 death(s) | 4 state tests | 30 commercial tests
East Carroll - 1 case(s) | 0 death(s) | 0 state tests | 22 commercial tests
Madison - 1 case(s) | 0 death(s) | 0 state tests | 2 commercial tests
Red River - 1 case(s) | 0 death(s) | 23 state tests | 27 commercial tests
St. Helena - 1 case(s) | 0 death(s) | 1 state tests | 64 commercial tests
Cameron - 0 case(s) | 0 death(s) | 0 state tests | 9 commercial tests
Tensas - 0 case(s) | 0 death(s) | 0 state tests | 0 commercial tests
West Carroll - 0 case(s) | 0 death(s) | 0 state tests | 11 commercial tests

About The Week in Geek

News Talk 99.5 WRNO · The News and Talk of New Orleans