Six new COVID-19 positives in St. Mary

Another six St. Mary COVID-19 positives were reported Thursday by the Louisiana Office of Public Health, raising the parish's total to 168.

The OPH also reported another COVID-related death in the parish, raising the official total to 18. St. Mary Coroner Eric Melancon said Wednesday that 21 deaths have been reported to his office.

In all, 654 COVID-19 tests have been performed on St. Mary residents.

Another coronavirus death was reported Thursday in Assumption, the parish's second. Another four positives bring the total to 158 after 227 tests.

In St. Martin, eight more COVID-19 positives to bring the parish total to 210 after 698 tests. The death toll there remains at 13.

Statewide, the number of new cases remained relatively low at 481, raising the total to 25,739. But the number of newly reported deaths remains high at 67 for a total of 1,540.

The number of hospitalizations dropped by 20 to 1,727, and 13 fewer patients are on ventilators. That total is 274.