28 Days Later

Because we can't resist the poetry, I guess.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards is pausing the state's reopening, keeping the current phase two rules in place for an additional 28 days in an effort to get a handle on spikes in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations across the state.

“We have seen the number of COVID cases and related hospitalizations increase across the state over the last number of days,” Edwards said at a press conference Monday. 

"If we were doing a better job as a state collectively of adhering to those mitigation measures we would not be seeing the case growth we're seeing today," he added.

Cue several rounds of finger pointing.  People will blame each other for going to protests or going to bars or going back to work even if they've been forced there for various reasons.  The Republican death cult will blame the governor. Or they will blame the mayor whenever she steps in to follow the governor's reasonable lead.

Unless this statement from the Health Department will suffice for the City's input at this point. In which case, it's plenty adequate for the purpose.

"We have also heard that individuals and groups are using short term rentals to attempt to have private parties that may violate gathering size, masks, or other restrictions clearly spelled out by the State and City proclamations. Let me be clear: Individuals who host such parties and owners that allow rentals put themselves at risk of enforcement and, more importantly, of promoting the spread of a known deadly disease. Right now our fatality rate of known cases is stubbornly stuck at 7%. If you are planning a party for 100 people, look around and decide which 7 of them you would be comfortable sentencing to death. The myth that young people can’t get sick is untrue – and more importantly, they can easily spread it to loved ones and contacts who are at much higher risk.

People seem to think the threat of "enforcement" here is hollow, unfortunately.  The city just doesn't have the capacity for it right now, or so the chatter goes. But at least they're putting the word out.

Meanwhile, yikes!

"In recent days, the NOHD has seen an increase in the percent of positive tests results at its mobile testing sites around New Orleans. This is another concerning indicator that community spread may be increasing. Statewide, there are also alarming increases in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. If trends continue, we may need to go back to more serious restrictions on activity. 

If that's true then it sounds like they might be dealing with more than just a few "clusters" around town right now.  Stay tuned.

Anyway, none of this needed to happen this way.  If there had been a coherent federal response, if people had been given clear information rather than dodges and propaganda, if congress had committed to keeping American workers secure through cash payments and/or unemployment benefits, if they had kept small businesses from going bankrupt, if they had rescued state and municipal governments...

Look, all of the above was possible and it would have avoided this confusing run of "phases" that start and stop in reaction to the spikes.  They chose not to do any of it. And here we are.

Update: So anyway, about that "individuals and groups are using short term rentals to attempt to have private parties" bit.  We begin to see why this fairly significant press release was put out by the Health Department and not by the mayor.  Over the weekend everyone was saying it was because it was a Newman party. And, while, I'm sure that had something to do with the general shyness, this appears to be the part that they really didn't want to touch.

The permit-holder is the property’s listed owner, Society Property Co. The listed contact for the commercial short-term rental permit, Gordon McLeod, is a real estate broker with the McEnery Company.

McLeod declined to comment about the party at the Baronne Street rental. Once chief of staff to former District “A” Councilwoman Susan Guidry, McLeod was heavily involved just a few years ago in helping to develop city regulations around short-term rentals.

They're all bought in. They're all there specifically to defend the bloodsucking property owners.  This is specifically the reason that today, even as the governor acknowledges the public health emergency is still too severe to continue our "phased" reopening, no one has moved to protect the many hundreds of people about to be evicted from their homes.

Here is a cable news interview with the mayor from just a month and a half ago.  When asked about the coming eviction crisis, she was, even then, careful to talk about the importance of "finding a balance" that protects the landlords.

If it wasn't so shameful it would be funny.  None of these people is here to help you.  The whole system is teetering on the brink and the people holding the levers of power are only working to make sure the bosses and landlords make out okay. Good luck, everybody. See you in 28 days.