The Louisiana Department of Health did not update the state’s COVID-19 dashboard Thursday so employees could enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday, but there was plenty left to unpack from Wednesday’s weekly update.

As of Wednesday, the state’s seven-day average of tests given as of Nov. 18 was 295.9 tests per 10,000 residents. The positivity rate among those tests was 8.1 percent, up from 7.5 percent on Nov. 11. The last time the state’s seven-day average was that high was on Aug. 12, when it was at 8.5 percent.

In Region 4 overall, the Nov. 11 numbers were worse. The testing rate in the region was marginally above the state average, at 311.9 tests per 10,000 residents. The seven-day average percent positive of those tests, however, was well above the state average at 11.2 percent, up almost a full percentage point from 10.3 percent on Nov. 11. That is the highest it has been since Aug. 5, when it was 12.9 percent.

In Iberia Parish, however, the percent positivity rate dropped by almost a quarter from week to week. In St. Mary Parish, it dropped to 5.2 percent, within striking distance of the state’s baseline of 5 percent.

In Iberia Parish, the number of cases was at 3,603 Wednesday, an increase of 11. Of those, 3,507 are confirmed, with 96 probable. The number of deaths rose by one, to 105, 102 confirmed and three probable, with 43,167 tests performed in the parish. The seven-day average test positivity dropped from 11.3 percent on Nov. 11 to 8.7 percent on Nov. 18.

St. Martin Parish’s number of identified cases rose to 2,669, an increase of 16, with 36,348 tests performed. The seven-day average test positivity rate rose from 11.8 percent to 12.9 percent on Nov. 18. The number of deaths remained at 71, 66 confirmed and five probable.

In St. Mary Parish, the seven-day positivity rate dropped on Nov. 18 to 5.2 percent, from 8.6 percent Nov. 11. Total cases rose by 16 to 2,338 after 27,194 tests. Of those cases, 2,239 are confirmed, with 99 probable. The number of COVID-19 deaths remained at 95, with 89 confirmed and six probable.

In Lafayette Parish, the Wednesday case count rose to 11,778, an increase of 83, with the number of tests rising to 180,119. That equates to a rough positivity rate of 9.6 percent for that batch of tests, while the seven-day test positivity average rose from 10.2 percent to 11.8 percent as of Nov. 18. The number of deaths remained at 146, with 145 confirmed and one probable.

The number of cases in Jefferson Parish rose to 21,666 on Wednesday, an increase of 113, compared to 15,388 in Orleans Parish, an increase of 35. The latest data shows Orleans administered more tests, with 414,396 in Orleans compared to 303,821 tests in Jefferson.

Despite lower case numbers, the more urban Orleans Parish has seen four more confirmed deaths than its suburban neighbor. Orleans Parish deaths remained at 646, with 607 confirmed and 39 probable. In Jefferson Parish, the total number of deaths remained at 628, with 603 confirmed and 25 probable.

The LDH reporting of data on hospitalizations due to coronavirus infections are rising as well. On Wednesday, the state reported 1,077 hospitalizations as of Tuesday, an increase of 25 from 1,052 on Monday. The number of patients on ventilators rose by three, to 116 Tuesday.

The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Region 4, which covers Acadiana, rose by 10 to 171 on Tuesday, up from 161 on Monday. The number of patients on ventilators Tuesday rose to 17, up by two from 15 on Monday.

Tuesday’s data also shows that intensive care unit beds are still in short supply across Region 4, with more than nine in 10 occupied as of Tuesday. The overall intensive care bed occupancy rate in Region 4 was already at 93.3 percent Tuesday, well ahead of any potential post-Thanksgiving surge in cases. With 154 beds occupied and 11 ICU beds still open, the region has a total of 165 ICU beds available.

Tuesday’s data also showed that hospital bed occupancy in Region 4 was rising, to 80.4 percent, with 1,266 of the region’s beds occupied and 308 available. The total number of reported beds was at 1,574.

Wednesday’s daily COVID-19 data showed the state adding 1,234 new cases as the Thanksgiving holiday, with its travel, family gatherings and potential for jump-starting the already active coronavirus, got underway. That raised the total identified infections so far in the state to 225,638. Of those, 214,237 are confirmed, with 11,401 listed as possible cases.

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 possible case count and added to the cumulative case count.

The state added 15,879 new test results Wednesday, making the rough positivity rate for that day’s tests 7.8 percent.

According to the Wednesday update, the number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 rose to 6,350, an increase of 27 from 6,323 on Tuesday. Of those, 6,097 are confirmed, with 253 considered probable COVID-19 fatalities pending final testing.

That rise represents an increase of 0.42 percent. The average age of fatal patients is 75, the median age 76.

Dwayne Fatherree is the community editor for The Daily Iberian. He can be reached at dwayne.fatherree@daily-iberian.com.