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The state of Louisiana has surpassed 40,000 COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, according to statistics released Monday by the Louisiana Department of Health.

The state said Monday that there had been 40,341 cases of COVID-19 reported, with 2,690 deaths. On Sunday, there had been 39,916 cases and 2,686 deaths reported.

The increase between Sunday’s statewide update and Monday’s update was an additional 425 cases and an additional four deaths.

The four deaths is the lowest single-day increase since March 20 (also four new deaths). The state began reporting COVID-19 statistics on March 9.

While the state passed the 40,000-case milestone Monday, it also announced additional new presumed recoveries the day before.

The LDH reported that there are 31,728 presumed recovered cases of COVID-19, as of its May 31 update.

A person is presumed to have recovered if:

• It has been more than 14 days, since he/she tested positive and he/she is not currently in the hospital or deceased (when hospital status is known), or
• It has been more than 21 days, since he/she tested positive and he/she is not deceased (when hospital status is unknown).

The previous report was released on May 24, with 28,700 presumed recovered cases — a difference of 3,028 additional recoveries.

The LDH said at noon Monday that the state had 661 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, and 86 of those patients required ventilators. On Sunday, the state reported 678 hospitalizations and 84 ventilators in use.

Washington Parish had reported 433 cases and 38 deaths, according to the Monday update. There had been 1,764 cases in St. Tammany Parish, with 158 deaths, and 868 cases in Tangipahoa Parish, with 35 deaths.

Washington Parish had reported 4,027 COVID-19 tests, as of Monday’s update.

In Monday’s update, the LDH said that 21,833 tests had been reported from the state laboratory, and an additional 365,537 tests had been reported from commercial laboratories — a total of 387,370 tests. The state had reported a total of 375,109 tests in Sunday’s update — a difference of 12,261 tests.

Gov. John Bel Edwards is expected to announce Monday whether the state will move to start phase two of its reopening Friday.

The LDH typically releases updated statistics each day at approximately noon. For complete statistics, visit the LDH online at ldh.la.gov/coronavirus.