Tuesday’s daily report on COVID-19 data from the Louisiana Department of Health showed the state adding 2,592 new cases, raising the total identified infections so far in the state to 207,685.

The state added 33,422 new test results Tuesday, making the rough positivity rate for that day’s tests 7.8 percent.

According to the Tuesday update, the number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 rose to 6,156, an increase of 17 from 6,139 on Monday. 

That rise represents an increase of 0.28 percent. The average age of fatal patients is 75, the median age 76. As of Nov. 4, 229 of those deaths were still considered probable COVID-19 fatalities pending final testing. The number of probable deaths attributed to COVID-19 is updated each week on Wednesday.

In Iberia Parish, the number of cases was at 3,392 Tuesday, an increase of 71. The number of deaths remained at 103, 100 confirmed and three probable, with 40,831 tests performed in the parish. The LDH latest two-week incidence map update showed that the parish’s positive test rate dropped 54.2 percent, from 117 cases reported per 100,000 population on Oct. 7 to 53.57 per 100,000 on Oct. 21.

St. Martin Parish’s number of identified cases rose to 2,496, an increase of 44, with 34,594 tests performed. The LDH two-week incidence map shows that on Oct. 21, St. Martin Parish had 124.95 cases reported per 100,000 population, a 48.9 percent increase from 83.92 per 100,000 on Oct. 7. The number of deaths remained at 70, 65 confirmed and five probable.

In St. Mary Parish, total cases rose to 2,239, after 25,562 tests. The number of COVID-19 deaths was at 94, with 89 confirmed and four probable. The LDH incidence map shows that on Oct. 21 the parish had 60.27 cases reported per 100,000 population, down 48.2 percent from 116.53 on Oct. 7.

In Lafayette Parish, the Tuesday case count rose to 10,680, an increase of 226, with the number of tests rising to 169,588. The number of deaths was at 143, with 142 confirmed and one probable. The LDH incidence map shows that the parish had 101.33 cases reported per 100,000 population on Oct. 21, exactly the same number reported for the two weeks ending Oct. 7.

The number of cases in Jefferson Parish rose to 20,357 on Tuesday, compared to 14,711 in Orleans Parish. The latest data shows Orleans administered more tests, with 378,911 in Orleans compared to 285,133 tests in Jefferson.

Despite lower case numbers, the more urban Orleans Parish has seen nine more confirmed deaths than its suburban neighbor. Orleans Parish deaths were at 644, with 605 confirmed and 39 probable. In Jefferson Parish, the total number of deaths was at 621, with 596 confirmed and 25 probable. The LDH two-week incidence map shows that on Oct. 21, Jefferson Parish had 127.87 cases reported per 100,000 population, up 11.7 percent from 114.5 on Oct. 7. In Orleans, that number was 107.42 per 100,000 on Oct. 21, up 14.8 percent from 93.6 on Oct. 7.

The LDH reporting of data on hospitalizations due to the disease usually runs 24 hours behind its testing data. On Tuesday, the state reported 874 hospitalizations as of Monday, an increase of 56  from 818 on Sunday. The number of patients on ventilators rose by 11, to 92 Monday. That is up from 81 on Sunday. 

The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Region 4, which covers Acadiana, rose by six to 80 on Sunday. The number of patients on ventilators Sunday rose by one, to 11. Monday’s data was not available for the region.

The overall intensive care bed occupancy rate in Region 4 was at 79.7 percent Sunday, with 126 beds occupied and 32 ICU beds still available. The total number of ICU beds available was at 158.

Sunday’s data showed that hospital bed occupancy in Region 4 was at 75.6 percent, with 1,173 of the region’s beds occupied and 379 available. The total number of reported beds was at 1,552.

When compared by age group, the number of cases in the 18 to 29 demographic was at 46,049 Tuesday. It is the demographic group with the largest number of identified cases by far. The number of deaths reported in the group remained at 26. 

The number of COVID-19 cases identified in the 30 to 39 age group was at 33,050, with 87 deaths, followed closely by the 40 to 49 age group, with 30,567 cases and 198 deaths, and the 50 to 59 age range with 29,743 cases, including 527 fatalities reported. 

In the 60 to 69 age group, there were 23,420 cases reported and 1,122 deaths. This age group has the second-highest number of deaths, behind only the 70 and above demographic group.

The 70 and above group case count was at 23,072. The number of deaths in that group rose to 4,190 — still the largest number of fatalities for any age group by far, more than the number of deaths in all other groups combined and more than two-thirds of the total COVID-19 attributed deaths in the state.

The under 18 group, the smallest demographic segment, had 21,571 cases total — 4,161 age 4 and under — and six reported deaths.

The state’s seven-day average of tests given as of Nov. 4, the last date reported, was 196.3 tests per 10,000 residents. The positivity rate among those tests was 5.2 percent.

In Region 4, the Nov. 4 testing rate was above the state average, at 198.6 tests per 10,000 residents. The seven-day average percent positive of those tests was above the state average, at 6.0 percent.

According to Tuesday’s update, labs in Louisiana have processed at least 3,133,899 COVID-19 tests so far. 

The state has also started tracking possible cases, which is the number of individuals with a positive test detecting SARS-CoV-2 antigens. That number was 5,020 as of Nov. 4. According to an LDH spokesman, individuals initially identified as having a positive antigen test who are later identified as having a positive confirmatory test will be removed from the probable case count and added to the cumulative case count.

By gender, the state’s daily report shows women making up the largest part — 55 percent — of the identified COVID-19 cases in the state, with men comprising 44 percent and 1 percent unknown. On the other hand, the COVID-19 deaths are predominantly among men, 52 percent to 48 percent for women.

The number of presumed recovered cases, as of Nov. 2, rose to 172,210. In order to be considered recovered, a living patient must either be out of the hospital and 14 days past a positive test result, or 21 days past a positive test date if their hospitalization status is unknown.

On Nov. 4, the weekly update of fatalities by race showed the percentage of COVID-19 deaths among White victims continued to climb. Initially, LDH reported that 70 percent of all COVID-19 deaths in the state were in the Black community. That number has since dropped to 45.04 percent as of Nov. 4, while White victims now make up 53.44 percent of all fatal cases. 

The Native American/Alaskan Native total was at 0.10 percent. Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander data remained at 0.08 percent. Other races identified include Asian at 0.68 percent, Other at 0.45 percent and Unknown at 0.16 percent.

The number of Black deaths is still disproportionate to the demographics of the state’s population. African Americans make up less than 40 percent of Louisiana’s populace.

That data is only reported once a week, updated on Wednesday.

The top three underlying conditions among COVID-19 deaths in the latest report were hypertension (51.75 percent), diabetes (30.88 percent), and neurological disorders (21.98 percent).

Other factors included cardiac disease (20.68 percent), chronic kidney disease (17.96 percent), obesity (16.5 percent), congestive heart failure (13.33 percent), pulmonary issues (11.43 percent), cancer (6.71 percent), and asthma (3.41 percent).