The Louisiana Department of Health has confirmed a COVID-19 outbreak stemming from an Abbeville wedding, and is urging anyone who attended to take precautions now - including getting tested.
The Department considers all attendees of this wedding to be exposed to COVID-19, and is urging them to take precautions, a release states.
The wedding was held at L’Eglise on September 25, 2021. Approximately 150 people were in attendance. Several people that attended the wedding subsequently developed symptoms and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
KATC reached out to the bride for a comment, but she opted not to give one.
Dr. Tina Stefanski, Regional Director of LDH's Region 4, told KATC she hopes those who attended the event will take this seriously and take the necessary precautions.
"If someone attended this particular event, now it's been a little over a week, so hopefully most of the people who attended, if they were going to develop symptoms, would have developed their symptoms by now," Stefanski said. "But we still do recommend that people who attended get tested."
Regarding the press release sent out on Tuesday about the outbreak, Stefanski said it was the most efficient way to spread the word.
"The whole point of these types of notifications is to let people know that they might've been exposed to COVID," Stefanski told KATC. "So again that they can quarantine, get tested, and if they test positive and are at higher risk, have access to these treatments that are really lifesaving and certainly can help prevent progression to more severe disease."
KATC reached out to the Louisiana Department of Health for the number of positive cases but LDH says they do release those details as they are "confidential in epidemiological investigations."
Any unvaccinated individuals should quarantine through October 9* (14 days following their exposure at the event) and monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 including:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
LDH recommends testing for all attendees, even those who are not symptomatic and/or who are fully vaccinated. However, if an exposed unvaccinated individual tests negative for COVID-19 prior to end of the quarantine period, they still need to remain quarantined for the remainder of the 14 days.* LDH has a list of COVID-19 test sites [r20.rs6.net] on its website. You can also call 211 to find a COVID-19 test site near them.
Anyone with questions about possible exposure at this event should contact the Region 4 Office for the Office of Public Health at 337-262-5311.
