The Florida Department of Health today reported 21 more COVID deaths in Escambia County. The county is averaging five deaths a day.  Escambia has had 25,045 cases among Florida residents – 7.86 per 100 residents. The county reported 287 new cases today.
In comparison, Orleans Parish in Louisiana only had one death reported today. Orleans Parish has had 23,957 – 6.13 per 100 residents. The parish reported 111 new cases today.
How has Orleans Parish curbed the spread of COVID?
On Wednesday, Jan. 6, Mayor Cantrell announced that New Orleans will move back into a Modified Phase One, reducing indoor capacity limits to 25%Â and restricting gatherings of people not from the same household.Â
- Masks are required when around anyone outside of your household.
- Restaurants: Alcohol sales at restaurants must be accompanied by food sales. Restaurants and event venues can serve alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption and to-go between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m.
- Bars: Bars and breweries can serve alcoholic beverages through drive thru, takeout, curbside pickup, or outdoor seating between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. Indoor seating is not allowed.
Restricted to 25% Capacity
- Bars with AR-Conditional Restaurant permit
- Beauty salons, barber shops, and nail salons
- Casinos, racetracks, and video poker establishments
- Community centers
- Conference venues and meeting rooms
- Gyms and fitness centers
- Houses of worship
- Libraries
- Movie theaters
- Museums, zoos, aquariums
- Office buildings and businesses
- Restaurants
- Shopping malls and retail stores
- Swimming pools
- Tattoo, massage, and esthetician services
Not Allowed
- Concert halls
- Amusement parks
- Fairs and festivals
- Arcades
- Indoor playground and play centers
- Second lines and parades
- Dance clubs
- Adult live entertainment venues
As the bodies pile up in the City of Pensacola, we can and maybe will in time pin a lot of the blame on Mayor Grover Robinson, City Administrator Keith Wilkins who supervises the police chief, and now Interim Police Chief Kevin Christman. Still no enforcement of the city’s mask ordinance, Ordinance 15-20, in place since June 30. For its part, other than Councilwoman Sherri Myers, the rest of the councilmembers do not seem eager to risk angering Robinson by openly challenging his refusal to faithfully execute a law of the city. Whatever they expect to get in exchange for their silence must be worth it. I was in Walmart on Tuesday, January 19, for 45 minutes. I counted 30 people not wearing masks. I was surprised to read in another media outlet that it is Walmart’s legal policy to say it requires masks but its profit policy not to enforce its own mask policy, or here a city law.