Parish adds another death; toll now at 10

At least one more Lincoln Parish resident has died as a result of the novel coronavirus.

Tuesday’s updated report from the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) shows Lincoln Parish now with 96 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, and 10 deaths.

The parish has seen an almost 13% increase in known COVID-19 cases since May 1. However, the continuing climb in cases appears to correspond with an almost daily increase in the number of diagnostic tests done for the illness.

As of Tuesday, LDH reported 760 Lincoln Parish residents have been swab tested for COVID-19.

Though local officials confirmed the first two local coronavirus deaths on April 13, it took four days for the statistic to show up on the LDH report. The number held steady until April 23, when three deaths were reported.

Two days later, LDH posted the fourth death. The number has climbed almost daily since then.

Neither the increase in diagnosed cases nor in the death toll means those occurrences happened overnight. Instead, it reflects LDH’s posting of the statistics. Exact dates of diagnosis or death are not reflected in the posting.

Meantime, the statewide death toll stands at 2,043. The number includes 43 of what the state classifies as “probable” COVID-19 deaths, meaning they are deaths identified by coroners and/or physicians as COVID-19 deaths or likely COVID-19 deaths without a positive lab result.

Louisiana is reporting 29,996 cases of COVID-19. Even with the increase in cases statewide, the number of patients hospitalized and those on ventilators is decreasing, according to LDH.

Louisiana remains under a stay-at-home order until May 15 in an attempt to further flatten the coronavirus curve.