Parish suffers first COVID-19 deaths

Lincoln Parish has recorded its first two deaths from the novel coronavirus.

Though not listed on the Louisiana Department of Health’s latest update, parish Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Kip Franklin said Monday he was able to confirm the deaths through other sources.

The ages, gender and race of the victims were not available.

“My office would like to encourage the citizens of Lincoln Parish to continue following the governor’s stay-at-home order and to follow all Centers for Disease Control and Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) guidelines and recommendations for every precaution to protect your family, friends and other citizens of our parish,” Franklin said.

The confirmation comes as the number of coronavirus cases in the parish continues to grow.

Figures released Monday by the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) show 39 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus.

That’s up six cases since Friday. On Saturday, the state reported Lincoln Parish with 37 confirmed cases and on Sunday, with 39 cases. Sunday’s number marked the seventh consecutive day the local numbers have climbed.

The state’s COVID-19 test analysis labs were closed over holiday weekend.

Statewide, the number of COVID-19 cases statewide also continues to climb. As of noon Monday, Louisiana had 21,016 confirmed cases. Some 884 people have died from the illness. The majority of those are age 70 or older, according to the LDH.