LEADS IN COVID SPIKES — Louisiana has beaten back several spikes of the coronavirus disease. But the state is seeing troubling new upticks in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations as it struggles to persuade people to get vaccinated. The most recent data from the Louisiana Department of Health reveals the city of Minden in Northwest Louisiana is leading the state in Covid-19 cases. After being contacted by the Region 7’s Medical Director for Northwest Louisiana, Minden Mayor Terry Gardner made this announcement on his Facebook page late yesterday.
"For the state of Louisiana, we’re leading the area right now with COVID cases," Gardner said.
"For the state of Louisiana, we're leading the area right now with COVID cases," Mayor Terry Gardner / Minden, LA
Mayor Gardner indicated two churches in the area had a large number of church members infected with covid and also revealed that some had been previously vaccinated.
"We’re not sure what strain it is. But most of the people who are getting COVID have already had the vaccine so it must be a strain that we’re not vaccinated for," explained Gardner.
Gardner also encouraged citizens to practice social distancing, avoid gathering in large groups, wash hands frequently and wear masks in public.
In prior spikes, more than 2,000 COVID-19 patients in Louisiana were hospitalized at a time and dozens of people died from the disease each day. Health care officials are concerned Louisiana could be headed in that direction again as the more virulent Delta variant widens its footprint across the state and among states with lower vaccination rates including Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana.
