A 33-year-old member of Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards’ staff has died due to complications from coronavirus.
April Dunn served in the governor’s office of disability affairs.
“It is with heavy hearts that we mourn the loss of our dear April,” Edwards said in a statement Saturday. “She brightened everyone’s day with her smile, was a tremendous asset to our team and an inspiration to everyone who met her.”
Dunn served as the chair of the Louisiana Developmental Disabilities Council and was a part of the State As A Model Employer Taskforce, Edwards said in the statement.
“I was proud to have an advocate like April on the task force and on my staff. She set a great example for how other businesses could make their workforce more inclusive,” Edwards said.
Edwards announced Dunn’s death on the same day the US total of reported coronavirus deaths jumped to more than 2,000. Nationwide, there are over 121,000 confirmed cases.
Louisiana currently has more than 3,000 cases, and the numbers are climbing quickly. The state Department of Health says it is monitoring clusters at six nursing homes. The department is working to contain the spread at the facilities, spokeswoman Mindy Faciane said.
CNN’s Alta Spells contributed to this report.