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Washington Parish President Richard “Ned” Thomas released an update Friday afternoon, commenting on recent local developments in the coronavirus pandemic.

The release stated:

“As of Friday, March 27, 2020, the Louisiana Department of Health is reporting the following regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19):

• 2,746 cases reported
• 119 deaths reported
• 773 COVID-19 patients in hospitals
• 2,476 State Lab tests completed
• 18,883 Commercial lab tests complete
• 54 out of 64 parishes with reported cases

“The information reported is current as of noon today. Washington Parish has eight cases and one death. Since the onset of this virus, I have urged all the citizens of Washington Parish to practice proper hygiene, cover your nose when you sneeze, cover your mouth when you cough and most importantly, practice social distancing, including no gatherings of more than 10 people. There have been many orders put into place to help stop the spread of this virus and I ask that you continue to abide by these orders so we can flatten the curve. Coronavirus is in our parish and everyone needs do their part to stop the spread.

“These are very trying times for everyone, especially our healthcare workers and first responders. They are the ones on the front lines, the ones most at risk. I want to personally thank each and every one of them for the work they do daily to ensure our health and safety, all the while, risking their own. I would also like to thank everyone that is committed to meeting the daily nutritional needs of students, home bound citizens and the elderly of our community.

“In closing, I would like to remind the citizens of Washington Parish that on Sunday, March 23, 2020, the Governor issued a STAY AT HOME order, closing additional non-essential businesses and limiting travel away from the home to performing specific ESSENTIAL ACTIVITIES. The measures in this order are extremely necessary to slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect our healthcare facilities across the state from being significantly overwhelmed.

“Again, WE ALL HAVE TO DO OUR PART … STAY AT HOME!”