Gov. Edwards declares Day of Remembrance for Louisianans who died from COVID-19

BATON ROUGE, La. (KSLA) - Governor John Bel Edwards declared Sunday, March 14, 2021, as a day of prayer and remembrance for those who have lost their lives due to COVID-19 in the last year.

The first known case of COVID-19 in Louisiana was reported on March 9, 2020, in Orleans Parish. Just days later on March 11, Edwards declared a public health emergency.

March 11, 2020, was the same day northwest Louisiana saw its first confirmed case when a Caddo Parish resident tested positive. Bossier Parish had its first case on March 14.

On March 14, 2020, Louisiana had its first death due to coronavirus. By this date, there were eight parishes with presumptive positive test results.

As of noon on the one year anniversary of the first death, the Louisiana Department of Health reports 9,884 deaths in Louisiana.

“Sunday marks a year since the first confirmed COVID-19 death in Louisiana, and, sadly, there are thousands of empty seats at churches, Sunday dinners, family celebrations, homes, businesses and schools all across our state. As we mourn, I am calling on all Louisianans to join me and Donna on Sunday for a moment of prayer or remembrance for those we have lost and their families and friends who need our support now more than ever,” Gov. Edwards said. “We have lost far too many mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers and daughters and sons from all races, religions and creeds. We owe it to all of them to protect ourselves and each other as best we can to continue to slow the spread of COVID and prevent even more deaths as we work to end this pandemic.”

Read the Governor’s proclamation here.

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