JEFFERSON PARISH, La. — Jefferson Parish officials laid out a series of plans they hope will change the trends of rising coronavirus cases, including a hotline where residents can file complaints about businesses not complying with social distancing regulations.
The hotline is available at (504) 736-6929.
Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng said the parish doesn't have the authority to cite businesses for not complying with mask-wearing or social distancing regulations.
"I am not the enforcement arm," she said. "I do not have the power to go out and write a misdemeanor."
Instead, the complaint hotline will be a resource for parish officials armed with best practice guides and other COVID-19 information. Sheng said they will go to each business they learn about through the hotline and "ask them to comply."
If businesses get consistent complaints from the COVID-19 hotline, Sheng said she would ask the Louisiana State Fire Marshal to issue a citation.
"I will personally ask the Louisiana Fire Marshal to go out and cite them," she said.
Sheng said that with businesses open, it was up to consumers to stop the spread of coronavirus by shopping at stores that were complying with safety regulations and avoiding ones that do not.
"The power of the pocketbook is what I am asking everybody to pay attention to," Sheng said. "Make yourself powerful with your wallet. Let's reward good businesses."
As of Friday, the Louisiana Department of Health reported Jefferson Parish had 9,169 reported cases.
Parish officials pushed back against the idea of higher testing being behind the recent case spike, saying that Jefferson Parish has generally had consistent testing.
Nearby Orleans Parish has also seen an uptick in cases, but not nearly as high as what Jefferson Parish tests are showing.
The parishes have had very different responses to the state's reopening. Jefferson has followed the state's guidelines for entering Phase 1 and Phase 2 of reopening the economy, which mandated how many people could be in businesses at any given time.
Orleans Parish - uniquely in Louisiana - chose to delay reopening at both stages until local data showed better results. Facemask are mandated for entering businesses and Mayor LaToya Cantrell has issued prohibitions on large public gatherings.
In Jefferson Parish, it’s a bit more relaxed. Face masks are strongly encouraged but not required.
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