By: TONY MARKS
Editor
As of the noon update on Wednesday, April 8 from the Louisiana Department of Health, there were a number of 25 cases of the coronavirus in Evangeline Parish.
The number of cases, according to www.voro.com, rose by two since Monday, April 6, before rising from the 19 cases which were previously reported a day earlier.
The spike in cases from 19 to 23 was the third such spike in the parish since the first case was confirmed on Friday, March 20. The first spike came on Monday, March 30, when the number of cases jumped from 4 to 8, and the other spike came on Thursday, April 2, when the number jumped from 11 to 16.
Two of the cases in the parish have been reported at Cameron-Schlumberger in Ville Platte, according to State Representative Rhonda Butler after taking part in a conference call with the company’s management.
In a statement, Representative Butler said, “Fortunately they have activated the COVID-19 Emergency Response Plan which has helped mitigate and control the spread of this virus. The plant is still up and running and no plans to shut down.”
She added that employees who are able to do so are working from home. The facility has also implemented “staggered shifts, temperature checks, increased cleaning schedules, and zones within the plant to better manage this fluid situation for all onsite employees.”
As the number continues to rise, Savoy Medical Center, in a collaborative effort with Evangeline 911/Office of Emergency Preparedness, will begin testing parish-wide today between the hours of 10 a.m. and 12 p.m.. Testing will be done for those individuals who meet certain criteria while supplies last.
Persons showing symptoms of fever over 100.4, cough, sore throat, and difficulty breathing who would like to be tested should call 468-0572 between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. to be screened.