SW La. ready for loosened COVID-19 restrictions
Published 6:00 pm Friday, June 5, 2020
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Southwest Louisiana residents and businesses are ready for the loosened restrictions associated with the second phase of reopening, local officials said during a briefing on Thursday. However, they urged the public to continue protecting themselves and others from spreading COVID-19.
Spas, massage establishments, tattoo parlors, bowling alleys and outdoor playgrounds can now open under phase two. Bars without state food permits can reopen at 25 percent capacity. Malls, churches, restaurants, gyms and casinos can operate with a 50 percent occupancy limit.
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Amusement and water parks, children’s indoor play centers, concert and music halls and sleep-away children’s camps remain closed. More information on phase two guidelines can be found at opensafely.la.gov.
Dr. Lacey Cavanaugh, Region 5 Office of Public Health director, said Southwest Louisiana has room for improvement, especially when it comes to wearing masks in public places. She said frequent hand washing and social distancing should still be practiced.
“It is definitely not the time for us to get complacent,” she said. “If we go back to being in groups and we’re not taking these precautions, I definitely would be concerned that we could take steps backwards. I don’t want to see that for our community.”
Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter echoed Cavanaugh’s comments about continuing to use protective measures when out in public.
“We encourage citizens not to throw caution to the wind, especially the elderly and those with preexisting conditions,” he said.
George Swift, president/CEO of the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance, said he saw roughly one out of 10 people wearing protective masks during a recent trip to the grocery store.
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“The worst thing we could do is to not take this seriously and say, ‘OK, it’s over,’ and then have another outbreak and have to shut back down,” he said.
Testing sites for COVID-19 have expanded to encompass the five-parish area, including three mobile testing units, Cavanaugh said. Most parishes are meeting their baseline testing marks per capita, she added.
The latest testing schedule can be found on the Louisiana Department of Health’s website,
ldh.la.gov. Testing sites are open 8 a.m.-11 a.m. Monday through Friday.
Drive-thru and mobile testing sites will be suspended from June 7-12 because of potential threats associated with Tropical Storm Cristobal, department officials said. Dick Gremillion, Calcasieu Parish Office of Emergency Preparedness director, said the storm is expected to make landfall sometime on Sunday in the central and eastern regions of Louisiana. Southwest Louisiana may get rainfall from Cristobal, he said.
Cavanaugh said regular testing of staff and residents at nursing homes is also increasing.
The region has seen a slight uptick in COVID-19 hospitalizations recently, but the numbers remain lower than the peak hospitalizations in April, Cavanaugh said.
The Department of Health has reported 13 cases statewide of the inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19, with one reported death. Cavanaugh said the syndrome is found in children and young adults.
Hunter encouraged local businesses to join the Shop Safely LC effort and take a pledge to follow safety guidelines for customers and employees.
The Civic Center will remain closed under phase two, Hunter said. He said the city is “very concerned” about hosting traditional July 4 celebrations. An announcement on those festivities will be made soon, he said.
Swift said hundreds of businesses have received financial assistance from the Paycheck Protection Program. The U.S. Senate on Wednesday passed legislation already approved by the House that extends the period to use the funding from eight weeks to 24 weeks, or Dec. 31, 2020, whichever comes first. Funding that is not spent on qualifying purposes within that time frame cannot be forgiven and must be repaid by the business.
“A lot of businesses are just reopening, and so they were not able to take advantage of that,” he said. “So that (extension) will help.”
Nearly $130 billion in PPP funding remains in the second round of CARES Act funding, Swift said. Business owners needing financial help should visit their local bank or credit union to apply, he said.
“The money is there,” Swift said.
