BATON ROUGE – The mayor’s office has asked weekend event organizers to postpone events amid a state health emergency due to coronavirus.

Click here for late-breaking details on the state’s response and the latest patient numbers.

Saturday afternoon, the mayor also declared a disaster within the parish, a government procedure to lock-in emergency assistance.

Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome signed a parish-wide Emergency Disaster Declaration related to the City-Parish’s efforts to protect against COVID-19. As of this evening, there are still no confirmed cases of Coronavirus in East Baton Rouge Parish.

By declaring a local public health emergency, Broome aligns the parish with both the presidential and gubernatorial disaster declarations.

With this declaration, East Baton Rouge Parish can request additional assistance, if necessary, from state or federal partners.

Additionally, it triggers FEMA’s ability to assist in paying for actions taken by the local government before, during and after a disaster in order to protect the community.

This is known as FEMA Category B, Emergency Protective Measures. Under a disaster declaration, these measures are funded at a 75% cost share by FEMA. Category B covers costs like overtime, protective equipment, emergency mass care, or other items needed by the local government to protect its citizens.

Tomorrow, MOHSEP will enter into a partial activation and will be staffed from 7am - 7pm, in order to continue management of hazard mitigation and response.

Earlier in the week, the mayor issued an order to hold any large weekend activities.  That order postponed the 35th annual Wearin’ of the Green Parade and the Shamrock Run. Organizers said the parade will roll as soon as the health situation is cleared and vowed to host the wildly popular parade within the calendar year.

The mayor’s order comes amid public gathering bans involving sports teams – the NBA postponed its season and collegiate sporting groups, including the SEC, instituted rules keeping fans from sporting events.

Mayor Broome is addressing East Baton Rouge Parish residents about the virus, Thursday morning.

Click 'Play' in the window below to view her conference.

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