38 new COVID cases, one death in Friday report

Thirty-two new COVID-19 cases, about two-thirds of them in St. Mary, were reported in three local parishes for the 24 hours ending at midday Friday.

Statewide, hospitalizations and ventilator usage were up again after falling Thursday.

One new death was reported in St. Mary Parish, raising the toll to 48. Twenty-five new COVID cases were reported among St. Mary people, raising the total since the pandemic began to 1,381.

St. Martin had seven new cases for a total of 1,468, Assumption had six new cases for a total of 537.

The state has reported 42 deaths in St. Martin and 19 in Assumption.

Statewide:

--1,799 cases raised the pandemic to 116,280.

--24 new deaths raised the total to 3,835.

--The number of people in hospitals rose by 22 to 1,546.

--The number of people on ventilators rose by 21 to 222.

The next Louisiana Office of Public Health report on COVID infections will be about noon Sunday.

Gov. John Bel Edwards' proclamation imposing the mask mandate, closing bars and limiting crowds to 50 or fewer people expires Aug. 7.

At his press conference Thursday, Edwards talked as though people shouldn't expect major modifications in current precautions.

"I don't want people leaning forward thinking there's going to be some major change," Edwards said. "That doesn't appear likely given the current data."