Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update 3.21.2020 March 21, 2020

To the Citizens of Lafayette County:

Today I was notified by the state of our second confirmed case of COVID-19 in our County.  The state does not furnish us information about the identity of the confirmed case.  Again, this does not come as a surprise, but was expected as we monitor the spread of this virus. As a County, we are continuing to implement our plans for protecting our personnel and our citizens.  One crucial ingredient for these plans to work is for the citizens of our County to follow the instructions and guidelines given by local, state, and federal officials.  

Now more than ever, individuals need to be diligent in observing social distancing.  Everyone needs to consider their interactions in public and how each of them has the potential to spread the virus.  Parents need to explain and encourage social distancing among their children and their friends.  We should all consider what actions we would take if someone in our household was to become sick. We need to have a plan and follow it.  The following link gives necessary guidelines for doing that:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html

As a County, we are working with the State to help our medical providers have personal protective equipment they need to protect their staff as we confront this virus.  We encourage those who are sick to call health providers before they go to receive specific instructions. We encourage you to stay safe and diligent as we face this as a community.

Sincerely,

Steve Quarles
Emergency Management Director
Lafayette County