Wednesday COVID update for Avoyelles: two new cases in 200 tests

While the actual number of new COVID cases has remained low in Avoyelles Parish over the past several weeks, the positive rate that had been consistently dropping jumped up in the Nov. 25-Dec. 1 period used to determine the parish's official positive rate.

The most recent period showed 1 percent of the parish's lab tests during that seven-day period were positive for COVID. The rate for the previous week was 0.2 percent. While that reflects a quintupling of the positive rate, the numbers in tests and new cases is too small to start ringing alarm bells just yet. However, it does support the need to hang on to those old pandemic habits of social distancing, hand washing and mask wearing in public -- at least until officials can determine if there is cause for concern or a stronger response.

Wednesday's COVID update for the parish reported two new cases found in 200 tests. That is pretty simple math to determine the overall positive rate for that one-day snapshot of the parish -- 1 percent. However, the lab tests' positive rate was only 0.58 -- still higher than the 0.2 of Nov. 18-24, but not too bad.

Looking at the COVID numbers from last Wednesday to today, there were 986 tests with 12 new cases and one fewer death, due to one fatality being determined to have been a resident of another parish. That is an overall positive rate of 1.2 percent. However, the positive rate for lab tests is only 0.95 percent.

As of Wednesday, Avoyelles' pandemic totals were 7,405 cases with 181 fatalities. Statewide numbers were 774,913 cases with 14,861 COVID-related deaths.