Officials from DHH, TOHSEP speak on COVID-19 at Council Meeting

Coronavirus: Nicholls preparing for Possibility of going Online, Schedules One-day Drill
March 11, 2020
Lafourche presumptive COVID-19 case likely not resident of the parish
March 11, 2020
Coronavirus: Nicholls preparing for Possibility of going Online, Schedules One-day Drill
March 11, 2020
Lafourche presumptive COVID-19 case likely not resident of the parish
March 11, 2020

Health officials informed the public about preventative methods people can use to avoid catching and spreading the virus.


Earl Eues, Director of Terrebonne Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, and William S. Riggins Jr., Administrator/Medical Director DHH Office of Public Health, both spoke before the Terrebonne Parish Council, invited by Terrebonne Parish Councilman John Navy to give current information about the strand of coronavirus, Covid-19, currently sickening countries, March 11.

Lafourche Parish just announced its first presumptive case of Covid-19, and Eues said Terrebonne Parish currently has no cases.

“That could change tomorrow,” he said.



There is currently no vaccine or treatment for Covid-19. Because of this, Eues said it’s the responsibility of the community to slow the spread.

“This is a community wide responsibility,” he said. “The government is not going to stop the spread of this virus.”

He said simple methods like covering the mouth and nose during coughing or sneezing, washing hands, and staying home when ill.


Staying home and away from others is being described as “self quarantine.”


Louisiana is currently in an atypical flu season: two strands are plaguing the state’s population. The above mentioned steps apply equally to mitigating the chance of catching, and the spread of the flu.

If one fears he or she has Covid-19, do not go immediately to the doctor, said Eues. According to Eues, one should call ahead so the office can prepare to accept the patient. This is important to protect others, and slow the spread, he said.


Covid-19 causes a bad cold, coughing, sneezing, or any other typical symptoms of a cold, common to many respiratory viruses, and like those viruses it transmits through respiratory fluids.

Currently, there are 13 presumptive cases of the virus in Louisiana. Presumptive means they have not been confirmed, but are treated as though they are positive to protect the patient and the public.


The numbers ill, with Covid-19 are expected to rise quickly, according to Eues, because private companies now have ways to test for it and those sick with it will be identified. This will give health officials more knowledge of the virus’s behavior.


As of this moment, there are 938 cases of Covid-19, in the U.S. and 29 deaths caused by it.

Riggins praised the cancelation of mass gatherings, because the suggested 6-foot person-to-person gap helps reduce the chances of spread. This is a new term: “social distancing.”

“To have a community take this disease seriously and voluntarily avoid these mass gatherings… is what we dream about,” said Riggins.



Terrebonne Parish cancelled the Irish-Italian Parade today. Read more here: https://www.houmatimes.com/news/terrebonne-parish-officials-decide-to-cancel-irish-italian-parade-we-have-decided-to-air-on-the-side-of-caution/

This strand of the coronavirus, Covid-19, is of concern because, officials suspect, it jumped from some animal to humans. The human immune system, having never been exposed to this new strand, has to learn how to combat it. As an example, there are four other strands of the coronavirus which cause the common cold – human immune systems, being used to it, minimize symptoms.