May 18, 2020 Louisiana Department of Health Updates for 5/18/2020

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, May 18, 2020 - The Louisiana Department of Health has updated its website to reflect the latest number of COVID-19 positives and will continue to update its website at noon each day.

There has been an increase in cases in Region 4 (Acadiana) area. The Department is monitoring this increase carefully and this recent increase is due to outbreaks at three worksites that are not open to the public. The Department is working with these sites to prevent further spread of this illness.

Nursing homes
Nursing homes are required to report positive COVID-19 cases to the Department of Health. The Department is working with each individual facility to increase testing of residents with and without symptoms; to minimize infection; and to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The greatest risk for nursing homes is COVID-19 spreading within facilities and among vulnerable residents. A nursing home with residents who have tested positive for the illness is not a threat to the general public.

The Department is following recent CMS requirements and only certified nursing facilities are required to report the information in this report. This information is as complete and accurate as possible. It will be reported weekly on Mondays. Click here for the full report.

Other adult residential facilities
In addition, the Department is sharing aggregate totals for other adult residential facilities, which are not certified and not required to report on a federal level. This information will be shared on Mondays through a Department news release. Today, the Department is reporting a total of 526 COVID-19 cases among residents of other adult residential facilities and 65 deaths. 86 facilities are reporting at least one COVID-19 case.