Parish coronavirus cases up again

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Lincoln Parish has climbed once again. As of noon Friday, the parish had 17 cases, according to a daily update from the Louisiana Department of Health.

That number is total cases dating from and including the first two confirmed on March 22 to present. Friday’s number is up four from the previous tally.

Information about ages, gender and place of residence of the patients is not shown on the LDH website. Though that data is sent to parish homeland security offices, it isn’t as current as it was when the pandemic began.

“It’s all because of the testing,” Lincoln Parish Homeland Security Director Kip Franklin said.

The reason: As the number of tests administered for coronavirus increases and more cases come back positive, LDH is struggling to keep its reporting current.

The last detailed list Franklin received came on Wednesday. It showed only eight cases, even though the parish was up to 13 cases. “It isn’t like Lincoln

“It isn’t like Lincoln Parish is in a boat by itself. Every parish is like that,” Franklin said.

So far, 180 tests have been administered in Lincoln Parish, most of those at healthcare institutions that use tests developed by commercial labs.

Louisiana Tech University officials confirmed Thursday one of their students had tested positive for COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. The student does not live on campus, the university said.

Whether that person is reflected in the 17 cases isn’t clear.

Statewide the number of COVID-19 cases as of Friday was 10,297, a jump of 1,147 cases since Thursday.

LDH reported an additional 60 deaths, bringing the total to 370.

But, because of that reporting backlog, that doesn’t mean all of the new cases or deaths literally happened overnight.

Meantime, Lincoln Parish continues to receive stocks of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers and first responders from the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

“Right now, we’re holding our own pretty good,” Franklin said. “We’re being very conservative and rationing this stuff out.”

The parish received 32 gallons of a new liquid hand sanitizer developed and donated by Angus Chemical in Sterlington. Ten gallons were parceled to Northern Louisiana Medical Center and five to Ruston Regional Specialty Hospital.

The rest will probably be divvied among other healthcare facilities and first responders, Franklin said.