The coronavirus timeline for Louisiana is rather intriguing, to say the least.
- On Jan. 11, China reported its first death from COVID-19 virus. Within 10 days, confirmed cases of the virus were reported in Japan, South Korea, Thailand and the U.S.
- On Jan. 23, Wuhan, a city of more than 11 million, was cut off by Chinese authorities in an attempt to contain the spread of coronavirus.
- The coronavirus outbreak was declared a public health emergency of international concern on Jan. 30.
- The next day, travel from Asia to the U.S. was restricted.
- On Feb. 5, the cruise ship Diamond Princess was quarantined. By Feb. 13, 218 passengers were infected.
- On Feb. 6, a USA Today headline asked “When the threat of coronavirus end?”
- The next day, a Chinese doctor who had first raised the alarm over COVID-19 died from the virus. In a week, more than 14,000 new cases were reported in Hubei Province.
- France announced the first coronavirus death in Europe on Feb. 14. A week later, two cases were reported in Iran.
- On Feb. 23, South Korea raised its threat alert level as concern about the spread of COVID-19 grew. That same day, Italy saw a major surge in cases as officials began locking down entire towns. By Feb. 24, Iran had 61 cases and 12 deaths, more than any other country but China.
Then, the next fateful day, on Feb. 25, nearly half-a-million people were allowed to crowd into the New Orleans French Quarter to celebrate Mardi Gras despite more than a month of clear signals that the threat was spreading and that the virus had already invaded the U.S.
Within two weeks, Louisiana would have its first case of COVID-19. The next day, two more were reported. All were in the immediate New Orleans area.
President Donald Trump has been on the receiving end of considerable criticism—and justifiably so—for his general lack of a cohesive plan to fight COVID-19 and for his delay in taking any action, choosing instead to call the threat a “hoax” designed to harm his presidency, making everything about him—as usual.
But officials in Louisiana could have been more proactive had there been trained, qualified leadership at the helm of the Louisiana Department of Hospitals.
Instead, LDH has been rudderless since former Secretary DR. REBEKAH GEE resigned, effective on Jan. 31. DR. COURTNEY PHILLIPS has been named as her successor, but isn’t scheduled to assume her new duties until next month. In the interim, the state’s largest agency is being run by LDH executive legal counsel STEPHEN RUSSO.
A lawyer, not a doctor.
Russo’s lack of qualifications to address a major health crisis aside, he brought considerable BAGGAGE with him when he was appointed to fill in until Phillips’s arrival.
Accordingly, Russo must be asked about the threat of COVID-19: what did you know and when did you know it? (with apologies to former U.S. Sen. Howard Baker of the Watergate hearings fame).
In Louisiana’s case, the health of its citizens was placed in the care of one who lacked the professional knowledge of how to deal with an epidemic, much less a pandemic. Simply put, he was ill-equipped by training to properly read the tea leaves. Did he even know enough to seek the counsel of those who could?
So, even as the virus spread from China to Korea to Iran to France and inevitably, to America, with indications it wasn’t about to slow down, New Orleans was allowed to proceed with an influx of nearly half-a-million people, rubbing elbows (and more), eating, drinking and living in proximity—even as the clouds were gathering.
Look at how the corona virus spread in Louisiana. It started in Jefferson and Orleans parishes, soon became an ominous blob on the COVID-19 MAP, a blob centered at first in New Orleans.
Then, it began moving north and west. It soon reached St. James, Ascension, East and West Baton Rouge and as of today (March 23), exactly two weeks after the first, lone case was revealed, there are 1,172 cases in Louisiana—concentrated in the New Orleans-Baton Rouge area.
As of today, there have been 34 deaths in the state, third highest total in the nation, behind only New York’s 123 and Washington’s 98.
Hindsight, of course, is always 20/20.
But the signs were there and one must wonder if a qualified health professional had been leading LDH at this critical time, might Gov. Edwards have been given a heads-up to call off the Mardi Gras celebration?
Sure, it would have been a blow to the gut of the New Orleans tourist industry in the short term but no less of a blow to the entire state’s economy that has now transpired for the long term.
Had there been someone in charge who could look at the evolving timeline as events unfolded and hoisted the warning flags, there’s a chance we would not have the third highest death total in the nation.
There’s also the chance that Louisiana would not be the only state in the Deep South subjected to the necessity of a lockdown.
Cabinet members, after all, are appointed not only to administer individual agencies, but also to give advice and counsel to governors—and presidents—on actions that need to be taken in a timely manner.
Louisiana Voice 
Very interesting articile. I have met Dr Gee. She is both a MD and had been in the postions by that time for years. She did not flee the state and is now in another position in our state govertment. I totally agree with the premise of the potential of the article. The case that spread could have been of a single person off a single airplane and in the very density of NO ( I am thinking of any of our great restaurants) the spread could have started there with out any Mardi Gras at all. I was at Mardi Gras parade and on another occassion my Son,Daughter in Law and preciaus grand children from Texas. The potential transmission for us at Mardi Gras in our singular locations would not be tremendous different than to be in New Orleans eating at a location across the city from the infected indiviual at that time. Would Mardi Gras increase the transfer potentilals for that moment, sure but for me and my family at that moment it would be incidential difference unless the city and close association was shut down. Close the restaurants, Saints, and the like. (The transmisssion(s) may acturally have taken place entirely away from any parade route.) Now as to the possible of stopping the Mardi Gras. The Federal Govertment CDC was not issuing any alarm or guide lines. AND at the same time the person that can get advice from maybe anyone in the world ( much less our Nation) at any time by simply picking up the phone and ( assumably the defence department) was playing any potential down as completely unimportant. Thus I am not supprised that Dr Gee a phone call away did not recognize an immediate horrible issue, nor anyone at Tulane Medical School, LSU Medical School, at our flag ship campus and that included my cousins relative a MD with specalist in infectious disease that is well known and often called upon. ( I have not spoken with her but I can tell you that there was no alarm sounded within our close family) Thus as far as I am concerned the blame for the total lack of response falls to the total systematic refute of information that is not convenient at the moment from the restriction of scientific data ( my daughter in law new born ,health, weght , vacienes given pre existing conditions etc maybe followed by her last 4 ss digits) The type of combined scientific data used by scientist for decades, disallowed under Trump, The muzzling of CDC scientists as to there concerns of this virus forcing all comments to go through the Vice Presidents committee, The Trump stance on Clmate Change,offered with out any data. Reciently the reduction in the frequency of testing of the Blowout Preventers, which failure caused massive damage to the gulf coast. Thus this administration that boasts upon using its gut feelings over advice, surely it is the place to acknowledge the failure to have systems in place and to react to the impending issue of a out of control virus. Thank you Tom for the opportunity. Remi DeLouche
I never said Dr. Gee fled the state. Why did you assume I said that? Also, she seems to concur with my theory about Mardi Gras, although she apparently does not agree there was sufficient knowledge that the virus was spreading.
https://www.klfy.com/louisiana/dr-rebekah-gee-louisiana-set-to-become-epicenter-of-covid-19-epidemic-in-part-because-of-mardi-gras/
Damn straight!
I realize this is just begging Trump supporters to attack, but I still place prime blame on the President of the United States. I don’t disagree that health care professionals all over the country should have been alarmed about this earlier. However, correct me if I’m wrong, but I think the President was downplaying the pandemic all the way up to March 17 – and he was definitely doing so up to February 28, well past Mardi Gras, February 25.
I have no doubt Mardi Gras in New Orleans contributed to our high rates of infection. After all, people from all over the world visit New Orleans – and not just for Mardi Gras. Note that we have almost twice the number of cases as Texas and they have almost 7 times our population. We have 5 times the number of cases as Mississippi and 10 times the number of Arkansas and Alabama. Consider the international traffic to other areas with high rates of infection.
So, I do not disagree with what you have said, but I know our national infection rate would not be where it is had our President not dismissed warnings going all the way back to January. If our health department is to be held accountable those in many other states should be as well.
Thank you Tom, I do not claim to have the same writing skills as you and others. Thank you for maybe pointing out my lack of clarity. I an not suggesting you said Dr Gee left the state but rather she is still here and at her level her senior group probably can easily contact her, if she not them. When my dad an oil industry lawyer retired he could call many names at a moment, I have never been involved with the industry but could also repeat many of the names with out looking them up. I imagine you could do so also for your peers. Her replacement as I understand it was over a similar position for the vastly larger state of Texas, again I would think connected to an informed team. Reared in the new orleans area and later again working again in the area in the business equipment sales we were forced to join the tourist commission because we repeately were often supprised to find that a group of say bankers, maybe 25k were displayed at the end of thier convention on the evening news – the La ones being our potental customers. If we living in NO would not even know say 25K -50K Firefighters had been in our mist why would other Louisiaians? 80 % of all plane arrivals and departures for the entire state are just at MSY. Just Jazz fest I think has about 300K visitors. I am not saying Mardi Gras was not a potential high transmittal occourance but many Louisianians I think would not recoginize the massive numbers that could be a transmission point in numbers way beyond what they would expect and shutdown.would have to be for all and way beyond that of a single event…. So extreem clarity would immediately be needed to shut them all off, like French Quarter Fest that I think has grown to very large numbers.(100ks).all high risk potentials far beyond just Mardi Gras.
My point is the Trumps administration backed with the nations’s resources including a defence department daily briefing was in complete charatcter playing down all concerns of this virus to the point of muzzling anyone suggesting alarm. Once the Trump asministration was exposed the governor began taking action. After all he is over a state goverrnment sized for a population that is smaller than some of our sister states cities like Dallas/ft worth or Atlanta or Houston. He did help to make sure that when I am, say served at my favorate restauant that the servier is more likely to have a Doctor relationship other than an emergecy room and thus maybe less likely to transmit say tuberculosis to me or my family… and of course in this critical situation it means that hundreds of thousands, yes hundreds of thousands have doctor relationships instead of just emergency rooms, all done well ahead of time. Thank you Gov. Remi DeLouche
Remi, I am not following you on this.
The tourists and parades started way before February 25. Even if parades had stopped, unless the city had shut down, I don’t think we would have seen a huge drop in numbers. They would have had to shut down the airport, hotels, bars and restaurants also, and such a massive undertaking probably would have had too much push back.
Wow!
Yall must realize Trump is the “chosen one” by the Republican party and the precious Christians, why Trump and his entire family are serving our country without pay! Yes I received this from a relative and she is considering removing me from her facebook. But to the point, good article Tom, but I agree with Mr. Winham, Trump is the culprit, of course he thinks the virus will go away and is absolutely convinced he will be credited for saving the world from Obama and the Democrats. We can’t change anything that happened yesterday, but we will be better prepared for the next plague, Hopefully, the Lt Governor of Texas will sacrifice his life and the lives of old people like me, and we can spend eternity at Mar Lago. love always ron thompson
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/7kzjby/covid-19-new-orleans-louisiana-hospitals-coronavirus-emergency
Howard Baker (R-TN)
You are absolutely correct. My history slip was showing. Correction made. Thanks for keeping me on my toes!