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COVID-19 Hospitalizations In Louisiana Are Up For The First Time In A Week

Ben Depp
/
For WWNO
A drive through COVID-19 testing location at Alario Center, 2000 Segnette Blvd, Westwego. Operated by the Jefferson Parish Emergency Management Department. New Orleans, Louisiana. April 8, 2020.

The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Louisiana rose for the first time in seven days, according to the latest data from the state health department.

There are 46 more people in hospitals with COVID-19 Monday than there were Sunday. Still, the total number — 1,794 — is down by 340 since last Monday.

The number of people on ventilators continues to drop, though it rose by just two on Sunday. It's down 17 today for a total of 332.

In Region 1, the New Orleans area, there are 226 ventilators in use and 481 available. There are 1,912 hospital beds in use and 1,110 available, and 399 ICU beds in use and 271 available.

Credit Louisiana Department of Health
/
Louisiana Department of Health
Credit Louisiana Department of Health
/
Louisiana Department of Health
Credit Louisiana Department of Health
/
Louisiana Department of Health

The Louisiana Department of Health also reports that 32 more people have died of COVID-19 across the state. The death toll is now 1,328 people. Of those, 339 were in Orleans Parish, 286 were in Jefferson Parish and 74 were in East Baton Rouge Parish.

There are 24,523 known cases of COVID-19 in the state, including 6,148 in Orleans Parish, 5,761 in Jefferson Parish and 1,534 in East Baton Rouge Parish. 

The report from LDH says state and commercial labs have completed a combined 141,561 tests. The number of commercial tests completed is noted to indicate that it's the number reported to the state, and that number has not changed since yesterday. It's unclear whether it's a reporting error or any new tests simply haven't been reported to the LDH yet.

The health department also updated its report on race, ethnicity and underlying conditions. The percentage of people who have died of COVID-19 who were black is down again. It's now 56.25 percent. 

Credit Louisiana Department of Health
/
Louisiana Department of Health

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Ashley Dean is the digital news editor for New Orleans Public Radio. Before coming to New Orleans, she was the editor of Denverite, a digital news startup now under the Colorado Public Radio umbrella. Prior to that she was a copy editor and features writer at the Denver Post, and before that, a music reporter for the Colorado Daily. She graduated from Columbia University with a master's degree in journalism and from Northeastern University with a bachelor's degree in journalism.

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