Sheriff: State Park to be used as staging area for local residents waiting on test results

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    BATON ROUGE, La. (KTBS) — Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser announced Wednesday morning that the Lake Bistineau State Park near Doyline will be one of two regional staging areas for the “current medical situation in the state.”

As such, park visitors were asked to leave, transfer to another park or get a refund.

No additional details were provided in the news release about how the park will be used as a staging area, who will be going there and which agency is in charge.

But Webster Parish Sheriff Gary Sexton has since learned following a morning meeting that the park will be used to temporarily house people who are awaiting coronavirus test results and need a place to stay away from family or loved ones until an answer is known.

“No one from other regions will be brought in,” Sexton said.

Anyone who goes to the park must be referred there by a medical professional. The site will not be open to the general public, Sexton said.

Once at the park, the people can’t leave until they have two negative test results. Those who test positive will remain quarantined and may be moved to another facility for treatment, Sexton said.

Louisiana state troopers and the Louisiana National Guard will provide security as the park has been taken over by the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. The state Department of Child and Family services will be in control of the site.

“We don’t have a person that has been assigned to this facility yet and even tomorrow we may not get anybody, and we may not have anybody for a week. But if you’re tested and you’ve got concerns and you can’t get your test results back and you’re concerned about being around your general family or the public you know, you’ll be assigned to come to this area and stay,” he said.

The other park being utilized is Chicot State Park near Ville Platte. Others could also open at other state parks.

“Unfortunately, we understand that this is going to impact our visitors with plans to visit Chicot State Park and Lake Bistineau State Park,” Nungessor said in his news release. “But I would like to repeat – the greater mission right now is to do everything possible to get this situation under control so we can all resume normal operations. These are two of our most beautiful parks, and we will thoroughly clean them before reopening for the enjoyment of our visitors. Louisianans have always come together in time of need and I’m sure we can get through this together.”

All other Louisiana State Parks are open and operating normally.

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