How Has COVID-19 Impacted Shreveport in 2020?

We have been dealing with COVID-19 across the nation and the world since early in the spring. It doesn't look like it's going away anytime soon.

The positivity rates keep going up and the death numbers continue to climb.

Dr. Martha Whyte Director of the Office of Public Health for Region 7 (northwest Louisiana) tells us we still have a long way to go. She also talks about the vaccine and how that process will ultimately be a game changer, but not anytime soon.

She also reflects on the biggest disappointment from this most difficult year.

Dr. Whyte says almost 6500 new cases were reported in Louisiana on December 30th.

No backlog. These are new cases. This is the greatest number to date recorded in one day. We have not begun the surge we will see from Christmas get togethers. And now New Year's Eve is upon us....

The Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are now being administered to front line health care workers and nursing home patients.
The vaccine will soon be administered to first responders and other critical workers. It’s not expected to be available to the general public until the spring of 2021.