Public Health

Tests ordered by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) and performed by a certified lab have confirmed that the water in Donaldsonville is safe to drink. As such, the do not drink the water advisory has been lifted.

This evening, Louisiana State Health Officer Jimmy Guidry, MD, notified the Peoples Water System of Donaldsonville, LA that it must immediately change how it treats it drinking water after a routine inspection discovered possible elevated levels of chlorine dioxide in the treatment system. The directive is to make the change from using chlorine dioxide immediately this evening, March 22, 2016.

Because of needed repairs to its heating and cooling system, the Caddo Parish Health Unit will be closed for the next two weeks, beginning Monday, March 21. The health unit is expected to reopen on Friday, April 1 following this maintenance work.

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) is advising Louisiana residents displaced by the current floods of the importance of vaccinating themselves and their children against preventable diseases.

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals offers advice to Louisiana residents with private drinking water wells and to restaurants that are in areas affected by last week’s storm system that caused flooding throughout the state. Also, a fourth death that is attributed to the storm has been confirmed by the Natchitoches Parish Coroner.

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals reports today the number of flu cases continues to steadily rise throughout the state and reminds residents that it’s not too late to get a flu vaccine.

Governor John Bel Edwards has declared this week to be “Severe Weather Awareness Week” in Louisiana. The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP), the National Weather Service (NWS) and other partners encourage the public to get a game plan to protect themselves, their families and their homes in the event of severe weather.

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) is investigating two presumptive cases of imported Zika virus in the state.

Pursuant to the provisions ofLSA RS 40:5.3, as amended and re-enacted by Act 1 of the First Regular Legislative Session of 1988, and RS 40:5, the Precautionary Closure of Molluscan shellfish waters in Louisiana effective dated December 11, 2015 is hereby rescinded.