NEW ORLEANS — Louisiana reported cases of COVID-19 rose by 226 cases Saturday to 763, roughly a 42% increase from Friday's total of 537.
As of March 21, a majority of parishes, 35 of Louisiana's 64 parishes, are reporting at least one case of the potentially deadly respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus.
The majority of cases remain in Orleans Parish which reported 418 cases and 15 deaths. The parish with the second-highest number of reported cases was Jefferson Parish which registered 166 cases and 3 deaths since the outbreak was first reported on March 9.
The spike in cases is not unexpected. Last week, Gov. John Bel Edwards said a surge of reported cases was likely as more test results return from labs.
The Louisiana Department of Health reports that 210 state tests were completed Saturday, while the number of commercial tests surged from 847 to 2008.
The parishes with the most cases per capita are all in southeast Louisiana. Those parishes, in order, are Orleans, Lafourche, Jefferson, St. Bernard and St. John the Baptist.
According to data from the LDH, the age group with the highest number of reported cases is still 40-49 years old. However, 12 of the state's reported deaths from COVID-19 were residents who were 70 years or older.
There are four reported cases from children who are 18-years-old or younger.
Roughly 58% of reported cases are female patients, while 42% are male.
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