Dr. Jennifer Avegno said yesterday that the percentage of positivity has more than doubled in the city of New Orleans and is over 5% now.
The Louisiana Department of Health said statewide hospitalizations have more than doubled in 2 weeks and nearly all cases are the Delta variant.
Across the state hospitals experienced a surge in COVID-19 patients over the weekend as the more virulent and transmissible delta strain of the coronavirus entered communities that remain unvaccinated.
The Louisiana Department of Health reported that 711 patients were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Monday afternoon, the highest number since mid-February, when the state was recovering from a deadly winter surge in cases. While much of the rest of the country enjoys a coronavirus-free summer, Louisiana, with its low vaccination rates, is squarely in the thick of its fourth surge in cases. And there’s no indication that the latest uptick in cases will subside anytime soon. And while earlier waves of the pandemic saw cases skyrocket among elderly residents, the latest surge in patients is skewing much younger.
