New COVID variants showing little impact here

St. Mary Parish and Louisiana generally have so far been spared the impact of new COVID-19 variants that have emerged this spring.
As of Monday’s posting on the Louisiana Department of Health COVID-19 online dashboard, St. Mary has recorded a pandemic total of 12,483 coronavirus cases.
That’s up by only 98 since Feb. 23, although those numbers don’t reflect the results of home tests.
During the delta variant surge from August into October, daily totals of 100 new cases were common in St. Mary. Seventy-four COVID-related deaths were reported in St. Mary during that time.
Since Feb. 23, nine COVID deaths have been reported here, and 32 coronavirus patients have died since Jan. 1. The parish’s pandemic death toll was at 262 Monday.
Statewide, 543 new COVID cases and three deaths were reported Monday.
Fifty-six COVID-positive people were in Louisiana hospitals, compared to a pandemic peak of more than 3,000.
Three were on ventilators Monday.
Like all but a handful of counties across the country, St. Mary is rated by the Health Department as being at the lowest of four risk levels for COVID infection.
But COVID sub-variants BA.2.12 and BA.2.12.1, offshoots of the highly transmissible omicron variant, are believed to be pushing up infection rates in the Northeast.
Central and northern portions of New York state are experiencing a sharp rise in infections, the Washington Post reported Thursday.
The Philadelphia Department of Health has reinstated that city’s indoor mask mandate in response to an increase in cases.
The Transportation Security Administration caused a controversy last week when it extended the mask mandate for airline passengers and other users of public transportation until May 3. But on Mnday, a federal judge in Florida ruled that the extension didn't comply with regulatory procedure laws and that the government hadn't adequately explained its rationale.
Most mask mandates across the nation have been canceled.
Public health officials continue to urge vaccination and boosters as the best way to fight COVID.
The Health Depart-ment says unvaccinated people account for 55% of new COVID cases and 57% of deaths March 31-April 6 and 67% of current hospitalizations.
In St. Mary, 44.27% of the population has been vaccinated, up about 15 points since the beginning of the delta surge last summer.

After this story was posted, it was edited to reflect the federal court ruling striking down the extended mandate for public transportation.