The Louisiana Department of Health reported on Monday that there was an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in Acadia and Lafayette Parishes at worksites that are not open to the public.
In it's Monday update, LDH reported 84 new cases in Acadiana with 59 of them in Acadia Parish and 8 cases in Lafayette.
During Monday's press briefing from Gov. John Bel Edwards, LDH Assistant Secretary of Health Dr. Alex Billioux said that the recent increase is because of outbreaks at three crawfish farms where migrant workers are living in dorm-like housing.
"We initially found there was one outbreak in a group of workers who work on a crawfish farm and live in dormitory-like settings," said Billioux. "That led to broader testing of a number of persons under investigation - people who are not symptomatic being kept separately from the people who are actually COVID-positive. And then, a subsequent two work settings that were also found to have cases. Those are still under investigation. We're still gathering more information."
Billioux added that those work sites are not open to the public and that they are working with the sites to prevent further spread of COVID-19.
During Monday's press briefing with the Lafayette Consolidated Government, LDH Region 4 Director Dr. Tina Stefanski revealed that the locations of those three outbreaks were in Lafayette and Acadia Parishes.
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