Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

On Monday, Washington Parish President Richard “Ned” Thomas issued an update on how the parish is dealing with the COVID-19 situation.

The statement reads:

“My office and the Office of Emergency Preparedness is closely monitoring the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) as the situation evolves, and place the highest priority on health and safety, and as we monitor this situation daily, we are watching what is happening locally and adjusting our business operations and policies as needed.

“On March 13, 2020, I signed an emergency declaration that will enable our parish to adequately address an emergency that may arise from COVID-19. As of this press release, no presumptive cases have been identified in our parish.

“All government offices in Washington Parish are open with limited access to the general public. If you feel your business can be handled over the phone, we ask that you call the respective office first. My office is frequently updating our Parish Government and Facebook pages with information as it relates to COVID-19.

“Louisiana 211 is partnering with the Louisiana Department of Health to ensure citizens have access to the most current information. Anyone can simply call 211. “We always work to ensure that our offices and buildings are clean and sanitized. In light of current events, we’ve updated our cleaning processes and are performing deep cleaning. We are encouraging our employees to stay home if they are sick or if they have a sick member in their home.

“Based on guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Governor Edwards, for large events and mass gatherings, I recommend for the next eight weeks, cancel or postpone in-person events that consist of 50 people or more. Examples of large events and mass gatherings include conferences, festivals, parades, concerts, sporting events, weddings and other types of assemblies.

“I urge all citizens of Washington Parish to do your part to minimize the spread of any virus. We all must take action and be vigilant to prevent the spread of this virus.

“Further guidance, information and updates can be found at cdc.gov/coronavirus, ldh.la.gov/coronavirus and washingtonparishalerts.org.”

Thomas’s office phone number is 985-839-7825, and it is located at 909 Pearl St. in Franklinton.