Drop in new SW La. cases

Officials caution against easing up on social distancing

coronavirus COVID19coronavirus COVID19COVID LA cases chart April 17 2020COVID LA cases chart April 17 2020

The number of new COVID-19 cases has seen a drop, Dr. Lacey Cavanaugh, Region 5 Office of Public Health director, said at a Thursday press conference. However, social distancing “is just as critical as ever,” she said.

“I want everyone to understand that COVID is going to be around and is going to be in our community for a long time to come,” Cavanaugh said. “We’ve kind of stopped the tidal wave that’s coming at us, but now we’re going to have to figure out what comes next.”

The amount of new COVID cases could be impacted if people relaxed their social distancing measures over the Easter weekend, Cavanaugh said.

“There is a lot of uncertainty about what these numbers may look like next week,” she said. “We are not out of the woods yet.”

The state Department of Health, as of Thursday, reported 300 cases of COVID-19 and 16 deaths in Calcasieu Parish; 78 cases and nine deaths in Allen Parish; 48 cases and five deaths in Jeff Davis Parish; 33 cases and two deaths in Beauregard Parish; and two cases in Cameron Parish.

Cavanaugh said deaths may be the last figure to see a downward trend. African Americans make up nearly 60 percent of the deaths statewide. Hypertension is the leading underlying cause of death, at just under 60 percent.

Cavanaugh said testing capabilities continue to grow, with 126,000 tests administered since the start of the outbreak.

Social distancing has lowered the potential spread that one person with COVID-19 has from roughly 2.5 people at the start of the outbreak, to a little below 1.3 people now. Cavanaugh said that number could change at any point.

Cavanaugh said it will likely take over a year before a COVID-19 vaccine is ready for public consumption.

Dick Gremillion, director of the Calcasieu Parish Office of Emergency Preparedness, said 49 people were tested for COVID-19 over three days this week at the Burton Complex drive-thru site. He said that is a roughly a 20 percent drop from last week’s numbers. Testing will resume at the site next week,

after which officials will determine whether it should continue the following week.

Dr. Terry Welke, Calcasieu coroner, said some residents aren’t taking social distancing seriously. He said he recently saw residents at Prien Lake Park not wearing masks and sitting in close groups at picnic tables.

“This virus is highly contagious,” he said.

Welke said his office lists a death from a gunshot wound or a vehicle accident as such, even if a person has COVID-19 as a secondary infection. The numbers end up becoming skewed when a cause of death is listed as COVID-19, when it wasn’t the direct cause.

Welke said the 16 people in Calcasieu who died from COVID-19 had heart disease.

Calcasieu Sheriff Tony Mancuso urged residents to not let down their guard.

“If we give up right now and say everything’s OK, I’m afraid it’s going to have a different consequence if we don’t wait it out and deal with what the experts are saying,” he said.

Mancuso said the inmate population and Sheriff’s Office employees are being closely monitored. He said there have been no cases reported at the Calcasieu Correctional Center.

Denise Durel, United Way of Southwest Louisiana executive director, said 11 local restaurants are participating in a new program that delivers meals to essential workers in the area. She said Entergy and Blue Cross Blue Shield each gave $50,000 for the effort.

Restaurants interested in taking part in the program can call 433-1088.

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