BATON ROUGE - Residents who call 911 with an emergency may notice that the dispatcher asks them a few more questions than is typical. 

Officials with Emergency Medical Services say this is due to the extra precautions medical personnel are taking during the coronavirus outbreak. 

In addition to increasing telephone screening by asking 911 callers additional questions, first responders are making notifications when contact is made with patients who are suspected of being contagious. 

EMS personnel relay this information to their supervisors and to appropriate staff at the receiving hospital upon such interactions.

All precautions taken are an effort to protect patients, medical personnel, and the general public.  

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