Another light day for COVID in Avoyelles

Avoyelles Parish had another light and generally good report from the state health department in the Wednesday COVID update. An alarmist might focus on the fact that the parish's official weekly positive rate more than doubled from the previous week, but the optimist will counter by noting that means it went from a very low 0.4 percent to only 1.0 percent.

Some may see the low number of tests as a "problem," while others will say there would be no need for hundreds of people a week to be tested if they do not have symptoms and have no reason to believe they have been exposed to anyone with COVID because the incidence of new cases has been so low.

In short, Avoyelles Parish and much of the rest of the state are in a position of wanting to believe we have finally seen that long-sought light at the end of the tunnel and just as much afraid that its the proverbial freight train about to hit us -- again.

There were only 82 tests in Wednesday's daily report for Avoyelles Parish. Rapid result tests made up a higher percentage than usual. There were only five new cases -- three among the 46 molecular tests and two in the 36 rapid result tests. The death toll remained at 121 -- 119 "confirmed' by lab tests and nine rapid results classified as "probable" for COVID.

Since March 21, 2020 the parish has had 3,987 cases of COVID, with 3,489 "confirmed" and 498 "probable." As of Wednesday, the state's totals -- counting all positive test results during the pandemic -- was 442,221 cases and 10,056 deaths.