Wednesday COVID in Avoyelles: 11 new cases in 111 tests; weekly positive rate doubles from 0.6 to 1.2%

Avoyelles Parish had more new cases from Tuesday to Wednesday than it had from Friday to Tuesday. To put a more concerning face on those figures, the increase came in one-third of the test results.

The only "good" news in Wednesday's COVID update from the state health department was that the parish had no additional deaths from the virus.

The one-day report looked at 111 test results in Avoyelles Parish. There were 11 positive results. That compares to the Saturday-Tuesday four-day total of nine new cases in 381 tests.

The state also released its seven-day positive rate for the parish. One could put an optimistic spin on the report and note that the parish's COVID-positive rate is "only" 1.2 percent for the period of June 24-30. Or one could look at it more pessimistically and note that the parish's positive rate doubled from the 0.6 percent it had for June 17-23.

To add more of a sense of dread and foreboding to those numbers, the report comes at a time when the Delta variant of COVID-19 -- called more contagious and potentially more lethal -- is causing a surge in cases and deaths in rural areas of other states with vaccination rates similar to Avoyelles'. At this time there have been no official warnings of an impending surge and it is hoped Wednesday's report is a "luck of the draw" blip on what has been a generally encouraging COVID "radar screen."

As of Wednesday, Avoyelles had 4,373 cases and 125 deaths. Of those, 3,778 cases and 116 deaths were confirmed by molecular lab tests while 595 cases and 9 deaths were diagnosed using rapid result tests. The statewide 16-month totals as of Wednesday were 485,803 cases and 10,765 deaths.