The number of COVID-19 cases reported in Louisiana jumped by more than 1,356 Tuesday, and the number of people hospitalized with the disease ticked up by 16.
The increase to a total of 51,595 cases was the largest single-day jump in reported cases since early April — excluding days when delayed reporting of backlogged cases accounted for increases.
The troublesome trends were reported by the state health department a day after Gov. John Bel Edwards announced that the recent surge in cases will prevent Louisiana from further easing restrictions aimed at keeping the new coronavirus from spreading.
Current hospitalizations were 646, up by 16 from a day earlier. Hospitalizations remain well below an April peak of more than 2,100, but have been climbing since a decline to 542 earlier this month.
The Louisiana death toll from the disease as of Tuesday was 3,021. The state said 39,792 people have recovered. On Twitter, the state health department said 95 percent of the cases reported Tuesday were the result of “community spread,” as opposed to spread in nursing homes or other such settings.