NEW ORLEANS — It's another day of relatively good news in Louisiana's fight against COVID, with the Louisiana Department of Health reporting fewer than 1,000 new cases and a significant drop in hospitalizations since Wednesday.
The state saw 872 new cases and 49 new deaths reported Thursday, bringing the statewide totals to 740,533 and 13,949 respectively.
Thursday marks the first day since July 13 where LDH has confirmed fewer than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases, a positive sign that the fourth wave of the pandemic is winding down.
Another sign is that hospitalizations continue to decrease. At their height earlier in the summer, more than 3,000 COVID-related hospitalizations were reported. That number has been below 1,000 all week, and continues to drop.
The state reported a drop of 85 hospitalized patients from Wednesday, a significant change in the number, which has traditionally shifted downwards in small increments of single and low double digits.
Despite the trend, Gov. John Bel Edwards is continuing a cautious approach to his coronavirus response. The governor on Tuesday extended the statewide mask mandate by another four weeks, through Oct. 27.
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