Outbreak feared in wake of storm
Movement of displaced victims causes anxiety
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said he was wary of a COVID-19 spike as displaced Hurricane Laura victims scatter across the state and first responders and volunteers flow into the most damaged areas to help.
Edwards said Wednesday tens of thousands of Louisianans remain displaced with as many as 10,000 sheltering in neighboring Texas.
Edwards More than 200,000
remained without power Wednesday and 600,000 without clean water — about 170,000 with no water and more than 400,000 with water that requires boiling before use.
Edwards’ concern comes just as the state’s case numbers drop below the red line. Louisiana reported its lowest single-day number of new COVID-19 cases – 326 – since June 8, and the White House Coronavirus Task Force reclassified the state from “red” to “yellow” based on new infections.
“We’re certainly doing better,” Edwards said.
But he said residents must be especially vigilant in heeding mitigation measures such as masking and social distancing to continue to stem the spread and avoid a spike.
“I’m nervous as it is with all of the movement (caused by the storm),” Edwards said. “We’re really concerned about that.”
Meanwhile, state, federal and volunteer agencies continued to mobilize to help victims. Hurricane Laura’s Louisiana death toll remained at 14.
The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services has opened a 24-hour reception center for evacuees seeking shelter.
Evacuees must go to the reception center to be placed in a noncongregate shelter – primarily hotels – as one be
comes available. Anyone who arrives directly at a hotel will not be admitted and will be required to go to the reception center.
The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services is also launching a program for families to locate loved ones who evacuated from Hurricane Laura to state-provided hotel rooms.
The Army Corps of Engineers is activating its “Operation Blue Roof “program to provide and install fi
ber-reinforced blue tarps to cover damaged roofs until arrangements can be made for permanent repairs.
To be eligible, the houses must be inhabitable after installation.
“It’s essential to our overall housing plan,” Edwards said.
The governor also continued to encourage those in the 16 parishes included in President Donald Trump’s major disaster declaration to apply for aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Edwards asked that more parishes be included. FEMA assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, and low-cost loans for uninsured property loss.