COVID update: four new cases, no additional deaths Thursday

Avoyelles Parish had 69 COVID tests with four positive results in Thursday's pandemic update from the Louisiana Department of Health. There were no additional deaths.

As of Thursday, the almost 13-month total for the parish is 4,018 cases (3,407 lab tests, 511 rapid result tests) and 122 deaths (113/9). The state totals on Thursday were 448,104 cases and 10,200 deaths.

A national update noted that the "British variant" -- considered to be more contagious and a threat to spark a surge of cases in the pandemic -- is now the dominant strain of the virus in the country. Health officials say the COVID vaccines now being used are also effective against this and other recent variants of the virus. The focus now is on increasing the rate of vaccinations so the nation can blunt any impact the "Brit Bug" might have.