Tangled up in Phase 2: How Louisiana can break COVID’s grip

By STHS Communication Department

It’s like Groundhog Day in June. With the news this week that Gov. John Bel Edwards intends to delay Phase 3 of the state’s COVID-19 re-entry amid a surge in infections, Louisiana residents face the prospect of four more weeks of Phase 2’s partial shutdown.

But according to Dr. Mike Hill, an infectious disease specialist at St. Tammany Health System, there are things people can do to hasten the end of the local outbreak.

The catch is that it’s the same advice many locals have been ignoring since mid-March.

“By now, we all know the drill – wash your hands, wear a face covering in public, practice social distancing,” Hill said. “But knowing it and actually acting on it are two different things, and people in our community just aren’t acting on it with enough consistency.”

A visit to a local grocery or home improvement store provides all the anecdotal evidence necessary to suggest not enough people are wearing masks or other face coverings with regularity. But also, Hill said, more and more young people are coming down with COVID-19, suggesting a more lax approach to social distancing guidelines among that demographic.

Stories coming in from around the country support that, including accounts of the “shoulder-to-shoulder” DJ party in New Orleans that the state fire marshal saw fit to shut down last weekend, or the now-notorious pool party in Missouri or the group of 16 friends in Florida who all contracted COVID after a night out at a crowded Jacksonville bar.

And while it’s true that young people are less likely to require hospitalization from COVID-19, they can still be effective carriers of the disease, bringing it home to their parents, grandparents and others who are significantly more susceptible.  

Until everybody, young and old alike, begins adhering to the established COVID-19 ground rules, Hill said, nobody should expect a quick end to the outbreak.   

“The partial COVID-19 shutdown isn’t fun for anybody,” he said, “but the best, fastest way for us to get back to normal is for us all to work together.”

On Monday (June 22), Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards announced that, based on consultations with state medical experts, he will extend his executive order keeping Louisiana in Phase 2 of its COVID reopening for 28 more days.

Among other things, that will continue to limit the occupancy of most businesses – including retailers, restaurants, barber shops and others – to 50% occupancy. Additionally, bars that don’t offer food are limited to 25 percent occupancy.

Visitation to hospitals will also continue to be restricted; amusement parks, carnivals and similar entertainment venues will remain closed; and live indoor music performances are banned.

See a full list of Phase 2 business restrictions at gov.louisiana.gov.

In making Monday’s announcement, Edwards noted that the state passed two grim milestones earlier that day, surpassing 3,000 COVID-19 deaths and 50,000 positive tests.

“It is clear that COVID is alive and well in Louisiana,” Edwards said, adding, “… It’s incredibly disappointing to hear that there are still some people who refuse to wear masks in public, which puts all of us at greater risk of becoming sick. I implore Louisianans to be good neighbors, to stay at home when they are experiencing symptoms, to avoid crowds, physically distance, and to wear a mask when not around their immediate household whether inside or outside. These are simple things we can do to protect ourselves and each other.”

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Visit StTammany.health/COVID19  for the latest information on coronavirus in St. Tammany Parish.