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NEWS RELEASE JEFFERSON PARISH, LOUISIANA |
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March 10, 2020 THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CONFIRMS FIRST PRESUMPTIVE POSITIVE CASE OF COVID-19 IN JEFFERSON PARISH |
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JEFFERSON, LA – On Monday, March 9, 2020, the Louisiana Department of Health reported Louisiana’s first presumptive positive case of COVID-19, commonly referred to as coronavirus, a Jefferson Parish resident who is hospitalized in Orleans Parish. At this time, there is only one known case of the illness in the state. According to Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng, “We are urging all residents to stay calm but to also take proactive steps to help minimize the spread and protect the health of themselves and those around them. This situation is evolving but we will continue to keep all our residents informed as we learn more details from the Louisiana Department of Health and the CDC.” There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19. The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. However, as a reminder, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) always recommends everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, including: - Cover your cough. - Stay home if you are sick. - Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water, or with a hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available. - Disinfect frequently touched surfaces. - Avoid close contact (within six feet) with those who are sick. COVID-19 symptoms can include fever, cough and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. The CDC believes at this time that symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure. People who think they may have been exposed to COVID-19 should contact their healthcare provider immediately; the CDC recommends that you call ahead, which will help the healthcare provider’s office take steps to keep other people from getting infected or exposed. Jefferson Parish officials continue to closely monitor this outbreak and are in close communication with the CDC and the Louisiana Department of Public Health, along with other local, regional and national emergency service agencies and partners. At this time, Jefferson Parish is not recommending any changes to normal operations of business; however, officials are taking the following proactive measures to ensure the health and safety of Parish employees and the general public: - Encouraging employees to stay home if sick. - Emphasizing respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene by providing signage and hand sanitizer in all Parish buildings and public spaces. - Routinely cleaning all frequently touched surfaces in the workplace, such as workstations, countertops and doorknobs. - Working with all departments to ensure the continued operation of Parish services during this period. - Reviewing telework/telecommuting capabilities to provide for ongoing services and decision-making while protecting employee health, as needed. Consulting with technology vendors to review our options in securing additional laptops if needed and mobile broadband devices in the event employees must work from home or satellite locations. For updates on the state’s response to the coronavirus situation, visit http://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus/. Additional resources are also available at www.CDC.gov/covid-19. Members of the public with questions about coronavirus may call the Coronavirus general information line at 1-855-523-2652 from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday. For more information about Jefferson Parish, visit www.JeffParish.net. Residents can also receive regular updates by following the Parish on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@JeffParishGov). ### |
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