St. John reports 556 COVID-19 cases; New testing sites available

Published 12:21 pm Monday, April 13, 2020

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LAPLACE — The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in St. John the Baptist Parish saw only a slight increase from Sunday to Monday.

As of the Monday update from the Louisiana Department of Health, there have been 556 reported cases of COVID-19 and 40 deaths in St. John the Baptist Parish.

On Sunday, there were 545 recorded cases and 38 deaths in St. John Parish.

St. Charles Parish has 410 reported cases and 23 deaths, while St. James has 207 reported cases and 11 deaths.

Statewide, there are 21,016 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across all 64 parishes. This marks an increase of 421 cases since yesterday’s report.

The virus has spread in all Louisiana parishes. There have been 884 deaths, up 44 from Sunday. The first death in the state was reported on March 14.

According to the Louisiana Department of Health, there are 2,134 COVID-19 patients in hospitals across the state. Of these patients, 461are on ventilators.

  • President Hotard will have special guest Medical Expert Dr. Corey Hebert on Facebook live on the St. John the Baptist Parish Facebook page at 2 p.m. today to answer your health questions. Questions will be answered during the live but can also be submitted in advance to info@stjohn-la.gov or texted to 504-884-0607. 📍

This data is updated daily at noon.

Edwards has extended his Stay at Home order for Louisiana residents through April 30. To read the full order, visit https://gov.louisiana.gov/assets/Proclamations/2020/JBE-33-2020.pdf.

  • In honor of all who have lost their lives to the coronavirus, Parish President Hotard has ordered all flags in St. John the Baptist Parish to fly at half-staff until further notice.

Testing

Ochsner Drive Thru Testing – 1900 W Airline Hwy, LaPlace

No appointment Needed

Tuesday, April 14 – Thursday, April 16, 2020

  • 9 a.m. – noon – Testing is available for St. John the Baptist residents who are 18 years and older experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19 (ex: fever, cough, shortness of breath).
  • John residents will need to provide a valid state ID, driver’s license or other method of residency.
  • Testing is limited and will be available on a first come, first serve basis.
  • 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.– Testing is available for St. John the Baptist residents who have been evaluated by an Ochsner physician through an Ochsner virtual visit. A physician’s order will be required.
  • Patients will be given a scheduled appointment time.
  • Insurance not required.

Teche Action Clinic – 159 East 3rd, St., Edgard

No appointment needed

Tuesday, April 14, 2020 – 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Friday, April 17, 2020 – 8:00 a.m. – Noon

  • Testing is available for St. John Parish residents experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19 (ex. fever, cough, shortness of breath).
  • Appointment not necessary.
  • Insurance not required.
  • Please call 985-497-8726 when you arrive and someone will come to your car.

Walmart Drive-Thru Testing – 1616 W Airline Hwy, LaPlace

Appointment Needed

Monday, April 13, 2020 – Further Notice

  • 9 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., weather permitting– Testing individuals 18 and older who are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 and all health care providers and first responders.
  • The testing site will require an appointment through Quest’s MyQuestTM online portal and app, www.MyQuestCOVIDTest.com, which will screen and schedule appointments for those individuals that meet medical eligibility for the testing sites. If you need assistance with this, please call Quest’s dedicated COVID019 line at 866-448-7719 Monday through Friday.
  • Those being tested will need to stay in their cars for verification of eligibility criteria, ID check and self-administered test. For the safety of all those on-site, the test site is not available to those who walk up.
  • The site will use a self-administered nasal swab test that will allow those being tested to swab their own nose onsite while in their vehicles, observed by a trained medical volunteer to ensure the sample is taken correctly, and drop the sealed sample into a container on their way out of the drive-thru site.
  • Quest Diagnostics will handle processing test samples and communicating results to those tested and applicable departments of health.
  • The site will be staffed by volunteers, including Walmart health care professionals and Quest employees. Testing is NOT being done in store. The public should follow CDC guidelines and practice all protective measures recommended including staying home and limiting exposure to others as you await your test results.