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WEDNESDAY — Falling back to Phase 2 is a wet blanket on Thanksgiving. There’s no getting around it. Hospitalizations are spiking fast, and that’s a cause for grave concern. A great way to show healthcare workers your gratitude is to mask up, mind your social distancing and grit it out. We’re so close to the end, folks on the frontline are saying. Let’s not give in now.
We’ll see you next week. We’ll be off Friday for the Thanksgiving holiday, shopping local and eating a bigger pile of leftovers than ever. The Wire will return Monday. Y’all stay safe. We’re thankful for you. — Christiaan
Take a breath and read on for what matters in Lafayette.
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Here’s the latest coronavirus data
Changes reported since Saturday, the beginning of the CDC week:
- 214,237 (+7,198) confirmed cases statewide; 6,097 (+17) confirmed deaths
- 30,341 (+1,386) confirmed cases in Acadiana (LDH Region 4); 692 (+17) deaths
- 11,422 (+555) cases in Lafayette Parish; 145 (+1) deaths
- 186 (+53) hospitalizations in Acadiana
- 11.8% (up from 10.1%) positivity in Lafayette Parish reported between Nov. 12 and Nov. 18 — the latest data available
- All Acadiana parishes are above the 5% positivity threshold for resumed restrictions on bars
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Bending over backwards
▸ The gist: Louisiana moved back to Phase 2, but enforcement of existing restrictions hasn’t amounted to very much.
▸ Compliance checks resulted in inconsistent and infrequent penalties for businesses in violation. Records show State officials performed compliance checks the weekend of Nov. 20-21. Yet ATC took action against only two bars. The fire marshal’s office assumed an even softer approach, explaining the restrictions to owners and managers, hoping to encourage them into compliance.
“We can’t enforce our way out of this, and it will take compliance from everyone to flatten the curve,” Gov. Edwards’ spokesman says.
▸ Meanwhile: The medical community is also sounding the alarm about the potential for spread at local bars.
“Not enforcing the masking regulation and the other things that have been put into place out of concern for the overall public good, to me is equivalent to not enforcing traffic regulations,” says Lourdes Chief Medical Officer Dr. Henry Kaufman. Read more from Leslie Turk
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What does pandemic fatigue look like for Acadiana’s healthcare workers?
▸ The gist: We’ve all been talking a lot about “pandemic fatigue.” It’s how public officials have come to describe the public’s listlessness in fighting the virus. But what does pandemic fatigue mean for healthcare workers who have been fighting this for months?
▸ Dread. Watching another surge, healthcare workers fear how bad it could get, just as we’re nearing the finish line.
▸ Frustration. Many are treating patients who resist the idea that the virus is a threat. They’re fighting an uphill battle against misinformation, often weaponized for political gain.
▸ Exhaustion. Louisiana already faced a nursing shortage. It’s a tough job. Now, many are pressed into duty not just as caregivers, but as surrogate loved ones for patients in their final moments.
“At the core of it, we health professionals always want to help everyone, to fix everyone, to cure them,” Dr. Britni Hebert says. “But we literally cannot do it alone this time. We need everyone’s help to conquer this.” Read more from Christiaan Mader
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In Brief
▸ Back to (a modified) Phase 2. Louisiana’s third surge pushed the state back to harder restrictions. The Advocate lays out the basics here. A big one to note: Bars are again closed to indoor consumption in parishes above 10% positivity — looking at you Lafayette Parish — but bars with outdoor seating can accommodate up to 50 people for onsite imbibing. Lafayette bars have been notably crammed of late, and the 18-25 demo — looking at you, college kids, et al — is leading the way on new cases.
▸ Eleven months. Eleventh hour. Eleven months in, M-P Josh Guillory wants to get a new police chief in place, stat. Expedition was the order of the day at a meeting of the police chief search committee. Of 10 candidates, six remain. The other four dropped out without sitting for the civil service exam. The committee will interview the remaining candidates this month. LPD has faced strident criticism this year after officers shot and killed Trayford Pellerin. Search committee member and Parish Councilman A.B. Rubin believes a chief who’s willing to get his hands dirty is essential. “We have to build trust in our police department again,” he tells The Current.
▸ Back to the future. Lafayette public middle schools and high schools will return to hybrid schedules after Thanksgiving. Students will again alternate between on-campus and virtual instruction. Remote learning has been a struggle for school kids everywhere, and the return home will be a big stress on many working families.
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DATES AND RESOURCES
- Nov. 20 — Early Voting Begins
- Nov. 28 — Early Voting Ends
- Dec. 1 — Deadline to request a mail-in ballot
- Dec. 4 — Deadline to return a mail-in ballot
- Dec. 5 — Election Day
- No-cost Covid testing Nov. 30 - Dec. 4
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Mostly relevant reads
Covid combat fatigue The New York Times
Thanksgiving harm-reduction steps for those who will travel or gather anyway Insight
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