This afternoon, Parish President Guy McInnis received updated data from St. Bernard Parish Hospital—Ochsner Health. The new data has shown a significant increase in the population being tested for coronavirus (COVID-19). Overall St. Bernard Parish Hospital—Ochsner Health currently has 21 patients being tested for COVID-19. To date, there were 3 presumptive positive patients. All of these patients were non-residents of St. Bernard Parish and are no longer at the facility.

St. Bernard Parish Hospital—Ochsner Health recommends all residents, in an effort to conserve local healthcare resources, to only visit the emergency room for emergency care or life-threatening issues. As this virus continues to spread, our local healthcare facilities will begin to be inundated with patients. Our residents can help reduce systemic stress to our healthcare providers by following the latest CDC guidelines for (prevention, testing and treatment of possible COVID-19).

Residents, with non-emergency issues are asked to take the following steps:

Contact an urgent care

Call your local physician

Contact the CDC (800-232-4636)

“We would like all residents to strictly adhere to the CDC guidelines. Quite frankly, you should only be going to the hospital if you need immediate care. It is the civic duty of all residents to be mindful of recommended state and federal guidelines on COVID-19 preventive measures. We can all do our part by practicing social distancing to help flatten the curve of this pandemic” said Parish President Guy McInnis.