Nine new COVID cases, no deaths in three local parishes

Nine new COVID-19 cases, eight in St. Martin, were reported in three local parishes for the 24 hours ending at midday Wednesday by the Louisiana Office of Public Health.

In St. Mary, one new case makes the total 1,901 since the pandemic began.

St. Martin's eight new cases raised its total to 2,081.

Assumption had no new cases, so the total stays at 758.

The death totals remain at 77 in St. Mary, 60 in St. Martin and 24 in Assumption. St. Martin's total was reduced by one from Tuesday, which happens occasionally when cases are reassigned to a different parish or duplicate records are removed.

Statewide:

--440 new cases raise the pandemic total to 162,645.

--7 newly reported deaths raise the toll to 5,225.

--21 more COVID-positive people were hospitalized Wednesday for a total of 592.

--1 more person is on a ventilator for a total of 94.