Gov. Edwards confirms first death in state due to COVID-19

Posted: Mar 14, 2020 / 05:00 PM AST

Updated: Mar 14, 2020 / 05:13 PM AST

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BATON ROUGE — The State of Louisiana reports first death related to COVID-19. The Orleans Parish resident was a 58-year-old individual with underlying health conditions. The patient was being treated at Touro Infirmary Hospital and Medical Center.

“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the first Louisiana death related to COVID-19 today,” said Gov. Edwards. “I have spoken with Mayor LaToya Cantrell, and we send our prayers and condolences to the family of the deceased. In addition, we now have 10 new presumptive positive cases bringing our total to 77. Now more than ever, we must remain vigilant against the spread of this illness by taking care of ourselves and each other, avoiding going into public areas if you are sick, practicing social distancing and washing your hands frequently with soap and water. This underscores the fact that those with underlying health issues are most at risk from the coronavirus. Those with compromised immune systems and are older should be taking extra precautions to avoid becoming affected with the coronavirus.”

Mayor LaToya Cantrell released the following statement:

“We were deeply saddened, but sadly not surprised, to get confirmation today of the first fatality attributed to COVID-19 in the state of Louisiana,” said Mayor Cantrell. “As we know, particular sectors of our community are acutely at risk for serious symptoms that may ultimately prove fatal. We are taking every action to protect and to inform these vulnerable populations, and we encourage our healthy residents to bear in mind the potential cost of the virus’ spread. This is a tragic development, but not an unforeseen one. I call on all of our residents to keep the victim’s family in their prayers, and to continue doing everything possible to prevent further spread.”

The Louisiana Department of Louisiana has reported 10 additional presumptive positive cases for coronavirus in Louisiana, which now brings the total to 77. Updates can be seen at ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus.

Everyone is warned to take the necessary precautions to help limit the spread of COVID-19 and stay safe and healthy.

These precautions include: