BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Gov. John Bel Edwards warned Louisiana residents Wednesday he expects the number of new coronavirus cases to rise in the state, as lawmakers held their first hearings on the outbreak involving public health officials.
The state’s first positive test for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, was announced Monday. Five more people have since tested “presumptive positive,” meaning the results await federal confirmation. Louisiana, like other states, is sending test results to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for final confirmation.
Officials warned they expect the number of cases to continue to rise.
“We expect to see more presumptive positives in the coming days and weeks,” Edwards said at a Rotary Club luncheon. But he also urged calm: “I don’t want anybody to see that and then panic.”
For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. Most people recover within weeks, as has happened with three-quarters of those infected in mainland China.
With no vaccine or cure for COVID-19, Louisiana’s governor said people should follow the same precautions they’d take for the flu: washing hands frequently, staying home if sick and keeping more distance from people, rather than giving hugs.
He said the state is working to determine everyone who came into contact with the six who tested positive. Five of them live in New Orleans, and the sixth in its suburb of Jefferson Parish. All are isolated and hospitalized in the New Orleans area.
“We’re in the process now of gathering as much information as we can about those patients, their family members and other people they may have come in contact with,” Edwards said.
The state health department said Louisiana’s first positive test wasn’t travel-related, meaning the virus has spread through community interaction.
Louisiana State University on Wednesday discouraged students and staff from traveling for the upcoming spring break. The Baton Rouge campus also said it’s considering moving classes to an online format for the remainder of the spring semester, depending on the virus’ spread.
Meanwhile, state House and Senate committees held hearings to get a crash course in the new coronavirus, asking about symptoms, precautionary measures and testing.
They asked whether Louisiana’s prominent festivals, such as Jazz Fest in New Orleans would be canceled — after New Orleans officials canceled the city’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade and other related weekend events as a precaution. Public health officials said no major festivals have been canceled, trying to balance the events’ risk to people with the impact on the local economy.
Rep. Robby Carter, a Democrat from St. Helena Parish, had a personal question, referencing his own medical condition: “If somebody had kidney problems and he’s on anti-immunity drugs, should he be in a room like this?”
“That’s a risk,” replied Dr. Jimmy Guidry, the state health officer.
Carter said his doctor told him not to attend work at the Louisiana Capitol if there are positive tests for the coronavirus in Baton Rouge, which hasn’t happened so far.