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LAPLACE — The first day of drive-thru COVID-19 testing in LaPlace went off without a hitch, according to St. John the Baptist Parish President Jaclyn Hotard.

A total of 86 locals received testing on the first day of drive-thru operations Tuesday at Ochsner Medical Complex- River Parishes. Cars began lining up about 45 minutes before testing began at 9 a.m., and the process from start to finish took less than 30 minutes for each individual.

Officials anticipated about 50 drive-thru tests would be administered on Tuesday. However, with cars still lined up after the 50 tests were complete, parish and Ochsner officials stepped up to meet the demand.

Testing continues today, April 8, and tomorrow, April 9. The frequency of testing will be evaluated based on community need on a week-by-week basis, according to St. John Parish communications.

“It ran very smoothly. People didn’t have to get out of their cars,” Hotard said. “The calls that we got were very complimentary. For the residents, I think it provided a little bit of comfort knowing how easy it was.”

Drive-thru testing is available to St. John Parish residents from 9 a.m. to noon, or until the day’s allotted tests have been administered, Tuesday through Thursday at 1900 West Airline Highway in LaPlace. To participate, residents must be 18 years or older and experience symptoms associated with COVID-19, such as fever, cough and shortness of breath. Patients must provide a valid state ID or driver’s license to prove they reside in St. John Parish.

St. John Parish residents who have received a physician’s order for COVID-19 testing will have a scheduled appointment from 1 to 4 p.m. at Ochsner Medical Complex – River Parishes. A state ID or driver’s license will also be required for these visits.

Before going to an emergency department, clinic or drive-thru testing site, please call the free Ochsner information line at 844-888-2772 for 24/7 advice and COVID-19 information. Established Ochsner patients can schedule a video visit via MyOchsner, while new patients can see a provider over video through ochsner.org/virtualvisits via the Ochsner Anywhere Care app.

The turnaround time to receive completed tests is about 24 to 36 hours, according to Hotard. When accounting for time to the test to arrive at the lab, the time frame from a patient pulling up to the site and getting the phone call with their results could be three to four days.

Hotard recommends that those experiencing COVID-19 symptoms get tested, even if they do not have an underlying health condition. Test results can let the individual know what steps to take to protect loved ones and limit community spread of the virus.

To date, the Louisiana Department of Health reports that St. John the Baptist Parish has seen more than 400 positive cases and 34 deaths. According to Hotard, 10 deaths have come from a cluster of COVID-19 cases at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Home in Reserve.

Local businesses are continuing to close their doors, signaling decreased foot traffic in St. John Parish. While the Easter holiday is typically a time for family gatherings, Hotard reminds the public to stay vigilant and continue social distancing.

“We need to not be misguided by any of the numbers in other parishes or statewide that suggest things appear to possibly be flattening out. We need to hold on and buckle down as tight as ever over the next week or two,” Hotard said. “We know people want to gather on the holidays. Maybe we’ll have a do-over, but we definitely need everyone to practice social distancing as much as possible.”