NEW ORLEANS — The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Louisiana dipped below 500 for the first time since March 2020.
The Louisiana Department of Health reported that there were 478 patients hospitalized across the state on Thursday. The latest figures come one day after declining hospitalizations dipped to their lowest level in about 12 months.
The lowest number of hospitalizations reported in Louisiana was 271 patients on March 24, 2020 - the first day that the state released hospitalizations data.
The rapid decline in hospitalizations coincides with the further expansion of COVID-19 vaccine eligibility in the state. Gov. John Bel Edwards announced this week that any adult with certain pre-existing conditions was immediately eligible to receive the shots.
President Joe Biden outlined his plan to make all adult Americans eligible for the vaccine by May 1. A spokesperson for Edwards’ office said Louisiana is expected to meet or even exceed that deadline.
Louisiana reported an additional 33 deaths and 528 new cases on Friday. In total, 9,861 people have died and more than 430,000 cases have been reported in the state since the pandemic began.
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