Tuesday COVID report shows 61 new cases

As of Tuesday's update from the state health department, Avoyelles Parish's total number of COVID cases was 2,142. Of those, 2,040 were confirmed by molecular tests and 102 were identified by the newer "rapid results" test. There have been 68 COVID-related deaths -- 66 "confirmed" and two "probable" -- since the parish's first death occurred on March 31.

Those numbers reflect a one-day jump of 61 cases -- 55 "confirmed" and six "probable." The LDH said the number was higher because of a "processing error" that failed to report some test results that should have been in this past Sunday and Monday updates.

The distinction of "confirmed" and "probable" is made because of the recent use of "rapid results" antigen tests. State officials say those results are accurate, and are included when the state gives its numbers for "total" cases, but separate those results from the ones identified with the molecular tests that have been in use since the beginning of the pandemic.