Jefferson Parish leads the state in coronavirus cases, surpassing neighboring Orleans

[fleur-de-lisa]

https://www.wdsu.com/article/jefferson-parish-leads-the-state-in-coronavirus-cases-surpassing-neighboring-orleans/32425566

JEFFERSON PARISH, La. — According to the Louisiana Department of Health, Jefferson Parish leads the state in coronavirus cases with 6,679 reported cases — just 5 more than neighboring Orleans Parish. Jefferson also ranks second with COVID-related deaths at 396.

Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng tells WDSU those numbers were expected due to aggressive testing — nearly 30,000 tests have been administered through state and commercial labs. "We're one of the most populous parishes in the state, so we kind of knew this was coming," says Sheng. "We've been aggressive on the testing front since the beginning."

Jefferson was the first parish in the state to participate in the federal pilot program for drive-thru testing. The Alario Center remains a testing site since its opening on March 21, and the parish has also been partnering with local hospitals to reach several communities.

"We went into the community in Marrero, and we went into the community of Gretna and Kenner," says Sheng. "Also, if you looked at the number of positives to total cases, it was about 31%. If you look at the last two weeks ... it's only a 6% positive rate. That's a very good indication the virus is less so in our community. We're coming off that bell curve."