Mayor: City ready for looser restrictions
Published 6:00 pm Sunday, May 31, 2020
The latest COVID-19 case numbers prove that Lake Charles is ready to move into the looser federal restrictions associated with the second phase of reopening, Mayor Nic Hunter said Friday.
“This is based on data, not my emotions or any personal opinion,” he said. “We are in an incredibly stable position and have been for quite some time.”
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Local health officials, including those at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital, Christus Ochsner St. Patrick Hospital and Dr. Lacey Cavanaugh, Region 5 Office of Public Health director, “absolutely support us moving into phase two,” the mayor said. Lake Charles Memorial Hospital reported on May 26 that there were no positive COVID-19 patients, as of May 23. It marked the first time since March 21 that the hospital had no COVID-19 patients.
“The hospital community has been amazing,” Hunter said. “They are prepared for a gradual reopening of this economy, and that’s what phase two is.”
Louisiana has been under phase one since May 15, which ended a statewide stay-at-home order that had been in place since March 23.
Under phase one, restaurants, hair salons, movie theaters, gyms and other businesses could reopen at 25 percent capacity, while continuing to follow strict social distancing and sanitation efforts.
Phase one is expected to continue until June 5, unless Gov. John Bel Edwards decides to extend it. During a press conference on Friday, the governor did not indicate whether he would recommend the state move into phase two at a planned announcement on Monday.
According to federal government guidelines, phase two would allow schools and organized youth activities, such as daycare, to reopen. Bars could reopen with “diminished standing-room occupancy,” according to the White House website. Large venues would ease their social distancing protocols from strict to moderate.
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Hunter urged residents, especially the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions, to continue taking precautions such as social distancing in public and frequent hand washing.
“I’m not advocating us to be cavalier or throw caution to the wind,” he said.
Hunter said he did not notice or receive any reports of local residents gathering in large groups or ignoring social distancing recommendations over Memorial Day weekend.
“I have a lot of faith in our residents,” he said. “I don’t remember seeing anything here that caused me great concern.”
The mayor spoke about an increase in fatal drug overdoses and suicides this year possibly being linked to self-quarantining. Charlie Hunter, chief investigator for the Calcasieu Parish Coroner’s Office, said there were 21 drug overdose deaths as of May 29, compared to 36 related deaths in 2019 and 29 deaths in 2018. The most common drugs discovered on toxicology screens were opiates.
Charlie Hunter said plenty of factors are involved in drug overdose deaths. He said it’s too hard to determine if self-isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic played a direct role in those deaths.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a direct factor, but it could be a possibility,” he said.
So far this year, the coroner’s office has reported 17 suicides, compared to 43 in 2019 and 31 in 2018.
Charlie Hunter urged residents to continue practicing safety guidelines, including frequent hand washing, wearing a mask in public and social distancing.
“We don’t want a further spread of this,” he said. “We are glad to see things opening up, but people should still be cautious.”
