Coronavirus cases in Louisiana spike by more than 30 percent in 24 hours

Coronavirus cases in Louisiana jumped by 34 percent overnight, according to the state’s health department.

The Louisiana Department of Health released updated figures Tuesday indicating that there are now 5,237 cases of the virus confirmed in the state, an increase of 1,212 (34 percent) from the 3,540 cases registered by officials on Monday.

The number of hospitalizations from the virus jumped by 20 percent in the same period to 1,355 on Tuesday, according to state figures. Louisiana officials have now registered cases in 60 out of the state’s 64 parishes, which are similar to counties.

Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) indicated over the weekend that insufficient numbers of test kits were hampering authorities’ ability to register new cases, according to The Acadiana Advocate.

“You may be feeling a little bit better today because the new cases in the last 24 hours are smaller than the previous 24 hours,” Edwards said. “Understand there were fewer tests that were administered as well. So nobody should rest too easy, although I am personally anxious to see real evidence that we are flattening the curve.”