Emergency Preparedness

The Louisiana Department of Health offers advice to Louisiana residents with private drinking water wells and to restaurants that are in areas affected by the recent storm system that caused flooding throughout the state.

Medical volunteers are needed at the Celtic Media Center shelter in Baton Rouge. Those wishing to sign up to help can do so at this Sign Up Genius link.

Due to the recent flooding, many Louisiana Medicaid recipients are in need of essential medications.

Our Louisiana communities prove time and time again that they are strong and courageous. You are no different. Many of you all have suffered losses. Our thoughts are with you. Many of you have been able to respond to the needs of others and continue to do a fantastic job. Thank you for your great work and dedication.

Executive Order Number JBE 2016-52

An evacuation shelter for people with special medical conditions only is now open on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge. This is a shelter of last resort for people who currently receive in-home care and is not for the general public.

This week, the Louisiana Department of Health has confirmed four additional case of Zika virus. As in all of the other cases in Louisiana, the patients travelled to regions in the Americas with ongoing Zika transmission and sought medical care in Louisiana after returning, where tests confirmed the viral infection.

The Louisiana Department of Health today announced it has received a federal grant of more than $19.5 million to assist local communities throughout Louisiana that are still recovering from the devastating floods this past spring. This Disaster Case Management grant is from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, and is administered by the Louisiana Office of Community Development-Disaster Recovery Unit.

This brings the total to 19 cases of travel-associated Zika confirmed in Louisiana. Although the state of Florida has reported several locally transmitted cases in that state, this is not the situation in Louisiana. Local transmission occurs when an infected mosquito in the area bites another person in the area and transmits the virus. This local transmission is much more likely in the parishes around Lake Pontchartrain than other areas of the state.

On June 1, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it is now allowing states to pay for mosquito repellent for Medicaid enrollees as a Zika virus prevention measure.