Louisiana surpasses 1 million COVID-19 cases

State health officials reported Tuesday that Louisiana has surpassed 1 million unique cases of the coronavirus, having totaled more than 29,125 case over the extended weekend. The actual number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 is believed to be far higher because the state’s numbers do not include home test results.

As of Tuesday, at least 1,025,748 people in Louisiana have contracted COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. The number does not include reinfections, persons who have contracted the virus more than once.

In a statement, Gov. John Bel Edwards called the seven-figure case count a “sobering milestone.”

“While we are looking for early signs that this current Omicron surge is letting up, we still have far too many sick people in our state and far too many people in our hospitals with COVID,” Edwards said in the statement.

Louisiana’s death toll from COVID-19 has reached 15,195.

According to the governor’s office, 51% of Louisiana citizens eligible have completed the COVID-19 vaccine series. Of those eligible for a booster, about 35% have received an additional shot.

The Louisiana Department of Health also reported

Louisianans have died of this illness, which we know is now largely preventable,” Gov. Edwards said. “We have many shining lights in the darkness of this pandemic – our health care heroes who fight on the front lines each day to save lives, our teachers who are working to help our children learn under difficult circumstances, our essential workers who are keeping our economy going. But the brightest light we have are the safe and effective COVID vaccines, which are free and widely available across Louisiana to everyone five years of age and older. We know that these vaccines prevent most severe illness, hospitalization and death. It is my fervent hope and prayer each day that more Louisianans will take their vaccines and their COVID boosters and wear their masks while we are in this Omicron surge, so that we can put this pandemic in our rear view.”

“While thankfully Omicron is on average less likely to put you in the hospital than other variants, that is just an average,” said Dr. Kanter. “While thankfully Omicron is on average less likely to put you in the hospital than other variants, that is just an average. It is still possible to get very sick from COVID-19 as the large number of people currently hospitalized in Louisiana show us. The best possible protection against being hospitalized and dying from COVID-19 is getting vaccinated and boosted as soon as you are eligible.”