47 new COVID cases, no fatalities in local parishes

Forty-seven new confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported at midday Thursday for St. Mary, St. Martin and Assumption, according to the Louisiana Office of Public Health. Twenty-nine of the cases were in St. Martin, but no new fatalities were reported.

Statewide, COVID hospitalizations reached a level not seen since the early days of the pandemic.

In St. Mary, nine new confirmed cases raised the pandemic total to 2,525.Those positives resulted from molecular tests. Another 165 cases were detected with the less sensitive antigen tests and are considered probable.

St. Martin's 29 new confirmed cases raised its case count to 3,151 with 179 probable.

Assumption had nine new confirmed cases Thursday for a total of 1,060 with 126 probable.

Statewide:

--3,851 new cases raised the confirmed pandemic case count to 257,483 confirmed plus 21,828 probable.

--31 newly reported fatalities raised the confirmed toll to 6,637 with 327 probable.

--The number of COVID-positive people in hospitals grew by 18 to 1,602, the first time hospitalizations have reached 1,600 since July 24. Hospitalizations peaked at 1,991 April 12, fueling fears that the health care system would be overwhelmed.

--Two more people are on ventilators for a total of 169.