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St. Tammany Parish – As the Louisiana Department of Health reports a percent positivity rate in St. Tammany Parish above 10% for the third consecutive week, St. Tammany Parish President Mike Cooper again asks residents to remain strong in their commitment to best prevention practices to slow down the spread of COVID-19.

“We all need to continue to stay the course and exercise personal responsibility as we take every precaution necessary to slow the spread of COVID-19. It is critically important as we see our percent positivity rate continue to climb, our hospital staffs strained, and our medical resources negatively impacted,” Cooper said. “We have a mask mandate in Louisiana as well as here in St. Tammany — every person over the age of eight is required to wear a mask in public, including outdoor public spaces. We should all continue to physically distance, avoid large gatherings, and practice personal hygiene including frequent handwashing and sneezing into your elbow.

“If you feel ill, stay home to avoid infecting others. Consider making an appointment to receive the COVID-19 vaccine if you are eligible. We must continue to work together to protect the most vulnerable among us while retaining our medical resources. We are optimistic that these vaccines will help us to move through to the next phase of this pandemic. We need everyone to continue to do their part to ensure that we get there.”

For daily updates on COVID-19 including daily data for St. Tammany from the Louisiana Department of Health, visit www.stpgov.org/covid19.