NEW ORLEANS — The number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized across Louisiana on Thursday dropped below 3,000 for the first time in five days.
New figures from the Louisiana Department of Health show that there were 2,999 patients in hospitals across the state with the virus. That is a net decline of 14 patients from Wednesday and marks two days in a row of decreasing hospitalizations. The LDH says 91 percent of those patients are unvaccinated against the virus.
Christian Stephens, a spokesperson for Gov. John Bel Edwards' office described the declining hospitalizations as good news.
"We still have far too many people in the hospital in Louisiana, but this is a tiny piece of hopeful news," Stephens said.
Louisiana also reported 5,922 new cases and 67 new deaths due to the virus since Thursday. In total, 11,918 people in Louisiana have died from the virus since the pandemic began.
Stephens said 28 percent of Friday's newly reported cases - about 1,668 - were children.
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