July 17-19 COVID update shows 20 new cases in Avoyelles

Avoyelles Parish had 20 new cases of COVID-19 over the weekend, the Louisiana Department of Health reported in its Monday noon update. With a total testing pool of 273 in the report, that is a total positive rate of 7.3 percent. For those who differentiate between COVID cases identified by lab tests -- which is what the state uses to determine the official positive rate -- and rapid result tests -- called an "early warning system" by pandemic experts when it was added to the arsenal last fall -- Avoyelles three-day weekend snapshot reflected 6.1 percent positive with 14 cases in 229 lab tests and 13.6 percent with six positives out of 44 rapid result tests.

The Monday update on vaccination rates showed Avoyelles with 28.83 percent of its population fully vaccinated and 32.1 percent with at least one dose of vaccine. Eastern Avoyelles lags in a parish that trails most other parishes in a state that is significantly below many other states in the vaccination campaign to end the pandemic and avoid the continuing train of hospitalizations and deaths caused by the virus. Southeast Avoyelles has a paltry 13.4 percent of its residents fully vaccinated while northeast Avoyelles is slightly better but below most of the rest parish with 19.4 percent.

The parish's pandemic totals as of Monday were 4,474 cases and 125 deaths. The state totals were 499,932 cases and 10,841 deaths.

Monday's numbers show the state will likely top 500,000 cases in the Tuesday report and will most likely reach 11,000 deaths before Labor Day unless the current "mini-surge" reverses course. A figure we usually don't look at that is also rising alarmingly is hospitalizations, with the state reaching another five-month high with 711 hospitalizations.

Avoyelles hopes it has reached its last benchmark on deaths at 125 but is likely to top 4,500 before the end of the month, and possibly by next Monday's weekend update.