Louisiana COVID-19 numbers continue to skyrocket but remain sparse in northeast sector

As of noon Friday, Louisiana was reporting 10,297 confirmed coronavirus cases statewide with 370 fatalities related to the virus.

4,037 tests have been conducted by State of Louisiana laboratories, while 49,608 tests have been completed by independent labs.

Sixty-one of 64 parishes have confirmed cases.

Two of the parishes with no reported cases are Tensas and West Carroll, both in the northeastern portion of the state and within 75 miles of Vicksburg. Another parish with no reported cases is Cameron Parish in the southwestern corner of the state.

Madison Parish is reporting one confirmed case with seven total tests completed. East Carroll Parish also reports one case with 22 tests.

Further west, Richland Parish reports three cases and 119 total tests, while Ouachita reports 114 cases with 1,730 total tests.

Louisiana currently ranks second in the nation for per capita deaths at 7.9 percent, trailing only New York state at 15 percent. Looking only at New Orleans in Orleans Parish, the death rate is double that of New York City at 32 per 100,000 people. The rate for New York City was at 15.9 on Thursday.

One-thousand-seven-hundred Louisianans are currently hospitalized with more than 500 on ventilators. The highest concentrations of the virus are in the New Orleans Metro Parishes, with 3,476 cases in Orleans, and 2,495 in Jefferson Parish.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards issued a shelter in place order for the state on March 22.

In Madison Parish an 11 p.m. until 5 a.m. curfew is in effect. Madison Sheriff Sammie Byrd says they have experienced no major issues in the sparsely populated parish just over the Mississippi River to Vicksburg’s west.

Although there has been some discussion of limiting Louisiana resident’s travel into adjoining states, no plan is currently in place for entry into Mississippi. Texas Governor Greg Abbott recently discussed the idea but shelved plans as well.