COVID cases jump by 172 in a week

Local confirmed cases of COVID-19 jumped more than 50% over the week from Sept. 18 through Friday, according to figures posted by the Louisiana Department of Health.

Lincoln Parish had a cumulative total of 1,269 cases of the respiratory illness since March, as of noon Friday. That’s an increase of 172 cases over a week’s time, or almost 52% from the previous week’s 89 newly confirmed cases.

The parish has also added one more death this week, bringing the total to 48.

The LDH report does not say whether the increase in cases represents an unclogged backlog in testing or tests done more recently, nor is there information on how many of the patients have recovered.

On Monday, Lincoln Parish had the fourth highest number of new COVID-19 cases in the state, with 23.

With the exception of Wednesday — the day LDH posted that its daily data release would be delayed — the parish recorded anywhere from 18 to 52 new cases every day. But from Tuesday to Wednesday, the jump was only eight cases.

The week’s biggest day-to-day increase was the 52 new cases from Thursday to Friday. That’s the largest daily jump since July 20, when Lincoln Parish recorded 53 new COVID cases.

Lincoln Parish’s continued COVID-19 climb comes as Louisiana marks its second week in Phase Three of coronavirus economic reopening. Under Phase Three, businesses can open to 75% capacity, and social gatherings are capped at 50% or 250 people, whichever is lower.

The rise in cases also comes two weeks after the Labor Day weekend.