Governor John Bel Edwards announced Monday Louisiana has it’s first presumptive positive case of coronavirus, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.
“The Louisiana Department of Health has 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,” he tweeted.
The patient is currently being hospitalized in Orleans Parish, Edwards says.
“The CDC still believes the risk to the general public is low, but we will work quickly and decisively to assess the risk to those around this patient,” Edwards tweeted.
Presumptive positive samples are sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta for confirmatory testing. If a sample is negative, it does not have to be sent to the CDC for additional testing.
The announcement came moments before Gov. Edwards’ press conference at the start of the Legislative Session.
Eleven other people tested by state health officials for COVID-19 have all tested negative, officials said.
In a series of tweets issued Saturday, LDH noted the addition of in-state testing capabilities means test results can be returned quicker.
Though hospitals in Louisiana don’t have the direct capability to test for the virus, if hospital staff suspects a patient might have it, the hospital will contact the state, the state will send a courier to pick up a sample, and that sample will then be tested at a state lab in Baton Rouge.
Louisianans with questions are asked to call LDH’s general information line at 1-855-523-2652 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
