Governor: 'Matter of when, not if' Louisiana sees first coronavirus case

UPDATE: LSU announced Friday it has canceled all of its study abroad trips through Aug. 17.

More details can be found here: https://lsu.edu/campaigns/broadcasts/2020-03-06-international-travel.php

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BATON ROUGE - State officials have formed a task force to coordinate Louisiana's response to possible coronavirus developments.

Governor John Bel Edwards announced the creation of the COVID-19 Task Force Monday. During a news conference that afternoon, Edwards said Louisiana getting its first confirmed coronavirus case is only a matter of time.

JBE: NO confirmed coronavirus cases in Louisiana, but says “it’s a matter of when, not if” that we will. pic.twitter.com/JYBdMznw4k — Bess Casserleigh (@BCasserleigh) March 2, 2020

While Louisiana has no confirmed cases at this time, the governor says about two dozen people who visited affected countries are being isolated at their homes. Edwards explained that none of those people have shown any symptoms at this time.

In the U.S., infections swelled over the weekend to 73 cases. According to the Centers for Disease Control, two deaths were reported in Washington state.

According to the governor, "As a state, Louisiana has been planning for pandemics for 15 years, and we will use this experience to guide how we react and respond to the coronavirus, should it impact our state."

Click HERE for CDC information on the virus.