NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Nearly 22,000 Louisiana residents filed new claims for unemployment last week, the state’s labor department reported Thursday.

The number of initial claims was up from fewer than 20,000 a week earlier. The figures show the continued effects of the fight against the new coronavirus. For the comparable week last year, initial unemployment claims were about 2,206.

The total number receiving unemployment benefits rose above 306,000 last week. For the comparable week last year, that figure was below 18,000.