The last three days of data from the Louisiana Department of Health shows the drop in COVID-19 hospitalizations statewide continued through the weekend, falling more than 160 between Thursday and Sunday. 

According to the Monday update, the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state dropped to 2,934 Friday, down 65 from Thursday’s total of 2,999. On Saturday, that number dropped further, to 2,854, and then again on Sunday to 2,838.

The state also reported a drop in the number of patients on ventilators Friday, down to 462 from 470 patients on Thursday, a decrease of eight. Ventilator use increased over the weekend, however, adding nine cases on Saturday and another nine on Sunday, rising to 480.

Those decreases in hospitalizations come at the end of the third week of Gov. John Bel Edwards’ reinstated mask mandate, which took effect on Aug. 2.

In Region 4, which encompasses the Acadiana area, hospitalizations dropped by one Friday, to 408, then to 397 on Saturday and 389 Sunday. Over the same period, the region’s ventilator cases rose by eight, to 72.

Region 4’s ICU bed occupancy was at 166 Sunday, with nine beds available across the seven-parish area. That put the percentage of occupied ICU beds at 94.9 percent. 

In Region 3, which stretches from St. Mary Parish east to Lafourche and north to St. Charles, 89 of 97 ICU beds were occupied as of Sunday. To the west, where Region 5 encompasses the area from Allen, Jefferson Davis and Cameron parishes to the Texas-Louisiana state line, only seven of 85 reported ICU beds were available.

The overall hospital bed occupancy in Region 4 is still high, but not as dire as the ICU occupancy. As of Sunday, the occupancy rate had dropped below 80 percent, falling to 78 percent with 379 of 1,722 beds available.

Iberia Parish had logged 10,888 COVID-19 cases as of Monday, an increase of 201 since Friday. The parish COVID-19 death toll rose by one, to 185. In St. Martin Parish, 102 new cases were identified, bringing the total there to 7,454. The number of deaths rose by one, to 129.

In St. Mary Parish, new cases rose to 7,607, an increase of 109, with deaths rising by four, to 175.

The seven-day test positivity rates released last week showed the Teche Area numbers dropping slightly but remaining high. In Iberia Parish, the seven-day positivity rate dropped from 24.6 percent on Aug. 4 to 24.3 percent on Aug. 11, which is slightly more than a 1 percent decrease. In St. Martin Parish, the seven-day average positivity dropped two-thirds of a point over the same period, from 22.6 to 22 percent. St. Mary Parish saw a 10.1 percent decrease, from 17.8 percent to 16 percent.

All three parishes are well beyond the state average, which was at 15.5 percent as of Aug. 11, a decrease from 16.1 percent on Aug. 4. Across Region 4, which encompasses the Acadiana parishes, the overall seven-day positivity rate was down slightly, from 18.7 percent on Aug. 4 to 18.3 percent on Aug. 11.

According to Monday’s LDH update, the number of COVID-19 cases reported rose by 10,950, to 660,804. The state reported 59 new deaths, bringing the total to 11,977.