METAIRIE, La. — Jefferson Parish is reopening its large testing and vaccine site at the Alario Center as demand for testing and vaccines have skyrocketed during the recent COVID surge.
Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng made the announcement Thursday as she slammed the anti-mask crowd as showing a lack of respect for the medical professionals who are being overwhelmed by COVID cases that are filling up hospitals and medical buildings.
“I will never understand why this is such a big deal,” she said while holding a mask in her hand. “I will never get that – why this little thing over your face is such a big deal to people. It’s not.”
Sheng noted the situation in Region 1 hospitals. Region 1 includes the parishes of Jefferson, Orleans, St. Bernard and Plaquemines.
There were 593 people hospitalized with COVID in the region as of Wednesday. Of those, 245 are in the intensive care units and 67 are on ventilators – a sign that the condition is extremely critical.
Sheng and a series of medical professionals emphasized the need for getting vaccinated and wearing masks.
Region 1 Medical Director, Dr. Shantel Hebert-Magee was incredulous over the vaccine hesitancy, saying she did not think we would be dealing with this dire a situation again.
“We have over 2 million people in Louisiana that have been vaccinated and only 8 have had a severe allergic reaction requiring hospitalization and none have died,” she said. “Earlier this week we had nearly 100 people who died from COVID in one-day. So how can you compare the life-saving benefits of the vaccine to being on a ventilator, being intubated and possibly losing your life because you choose not to get vaccinated.”
Parish Coroner Gerry Cvitanovich said the deaths in Jefferson Parish from COVID have risen dramatically in the past few months. He said there were only 4 deaths from COVID in June. In July - almost all in the last week - there were 16. In the first 10 days of August, there were 21.
He said the areas of the parish with the most deaths are Marrero and Kenner. He said most have co-morbidities but some are health. And, he said, 95 percent of the deaths are from people who are not vaccinated.
"That's not opinion, that's fact," he said.
Sheng said the Alario Center was shut down when the demand for testing shrunk to 15 to 20 people per day. It was moved across the highway to a much smaller site, which is now being overrun with 250-300 people per day.
The Alario Center site will open for drive-thru testing and walk-up vaccinations starting on Monday, Aug. 16 from 8 am to 4 pm from Monday-Friday and on Saturday from 8 am until 2 pm.
Sheng said the only positive news coming out of the surge is a surge in vaccinations, with 72 percent of the eligible population (those that are 12 and older, since younger people aren't eligible yet) now having received at least one dose of the vaccine. She said there have been 23,000 vaccinations given out over the past three weeks.
Numbers released on vaccinations by the Louisiana Department of Health on Thursday said that 68 percent of adults in Jefferson Parish had gotten at least one shot in the vaccine series.
Sheng emphasized that everyone is being affected by the COVID surge, even if they haven’t had COVID. She said that procedures and tests for heart and other internal issue that could reveal preventable and treatable conditions are being put off.