Another 25 COVID cases but no deaths in three local parishes

St. Martin Parish logged another 20 COVID-19 positives and St. Mary picked up five new cases in Thursday's midday report from the Louisiana Office of Public Health.

Statewide, the number of people hospitalized for treatment of COVID-19, which is a red flag statistic as the number of new cases continues to increase, was up by 22.

St. Mary's five new cases mean 415 people here have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began. About 5,200 St. Mary people have been tested. Thirty-seven people have died.

St. Martin's 20 cases, a continuation of a pattern of big fluctuations in the daily totals, making the parish's total 606 with 26 deaths. About 7,500 tests have been performed.

Assumption had no new cases Thursday. The case count remains at 334, and the number of deaths remained at 14. About 3,100 tests have been performed in Assumption.

Statewide:

--938 new positives were reported Thursday, continuing the recent upward trend in new infections.

--12 deaths were reported, raising the toll to 3,051.

--The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19-related illness is at 653. Ten days ago, 568 people were hospitalized.

--77 people are on ventilators.