NEW ORLEANS — The number of new COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations in Louisiana continue to decline as the state eases out of the virus’ latest surge through the state.
The Louisiana Department of Health reported 2,423 new cases and 51 new deaths linked to the virus on Wednesday. Hospitalizations fell to 1,435 patients across the state, a significant drop from 2,367 patients recorded during the Omicron variant’s peak in January.
The state is also seeing a decline in the percentage of tests returning positive. Between Jan. 27 to Feb. 2, about 14.3% of tests returned as positive, compared to the around 20% reported the week prior. However, the entire state is still classified as a “high” community risk for the virus, which means there is widespread, uncontrolled transmission with many undetected cases.
Hospitalizations fueled by the highly contagious Omicron variant in the U.S. have begun falling after peaking at record levels in some communities. But doctors are warning that the wave is leaving behind lots of postponed surgeries and an increasingly worn-out health care workforce in its wake. Across the U.S., the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19 has tumbled more than 28% over the past three weeks to about 105,000 on average.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.