“One buggy, one person” Acadiana parish presidents pleading people to shop alone
LAFAYETTE, La. — The Lafayette Consolidated Government has confirmed the second death from COVID-19 in Lafayette Parish.
Tuesday there were 118 cases of the novel coronavirus inside the parish, a 30 percent jump from Monday.That is when one of the newest recommendations for parishes across Acadiana was made public.
“One buggy, one person” is backed by each parish president in the area according to Lafayette’s Mayor-President Josh Guillory, but many people say they haven’t heard of it.
While some shoppers have their buggy’s full, others like Carlos Sanchez have their hands full. When he heard of “one buggy, one person”, he wasn’t sure he could manage it.
“I do my best to follow every law and every recommendation, but sometimes it’s impossible when you have to handle three kids,” explained Sanchez.
With children out of school and a sick wife, he’s doing his best, and parish officials want everyone to do the most they can.
In Tuesday’s press briefing, Mayor-President Guillory said, “When you ask about the one person one buggy, that’s not a law, that is a plea.”
But some ordinances such as the governor’s executive order of limiting gathering to 10 people or less is a punishable crime.
“We’re going to ultimately enforce what I personally wouldn’t agree with under any other circumstances which is to take away someone personal rights of public assembly and so forth,” warned Lafayette Parish Sheriff Mark Garber. “Those are suspended right now. I want to be clear about that. We have a larger public safety mission at hand.”
No number of proclamations, tickets, or citations will ultimately make the difference in cutting the rate of transmission Guillory said, “No matter how many the government does, the first line of defense starts with you.”
It’s compliance with laws and recommendations doctors, law enforcement, and elected officials want which can give our hospitals more time to prepare for a surge.
“I really believe they’re looking for our best which is our health,” Sanchez told News 10. “But on the other side, with situations like mine, it’s difficult to coordinate the recommendations with my personal life.”