Avoyelles COVID status improves in Wednesday report

There were only three new COVID cases found in 334 tests reviewed for Avoyelles Parish's Wednesday update from the state health department.

The phrase of the moment is that the "fourth wave is over, but the pandemic is not."

Those who have not received a COVID vaccine are being urged to do so. Those who received vaccinations several months ago are being encouraged to consider receiving a "booster shot" as an added protection against any lingering "fourth wave" virus or a would-be "fifth wave" bug in late autumn or early winter.

Avoyelles has made it "out of the red" on the state's "risk map," going from the crimson "very high" designation to an orange "high" classification. That may not sound very encouraging, but the parish's already low 2.7 percent positive rate was cut to only 1.2 percent in the state's update Wednesday.

As of Wednesday, the parish's 19-month pandemic totals were 7,046 cases and 177 deaths.