By Cyndi Sellers

COVID-19 testing continues around Cameron Parish this month, with testing held in Cameron on Tuesday and returning to Grand Lake and Hackberry next week. Last week’s test results have just begun to be received, and positive cases in Cameron Parish continue to rise, after a long stretch of no new cases.

On Wednesday. June 10, the count had more than doubled from its earlier plateau, to 16. It had held steady at seven for four weeks, then changed to eight on May 30 and was up to 10 on June 1. The total was 12 on June 4 and 15 on June 7.

While still far below almost every other parish in Louisiana, the rise in new cases suggests something has changed, whether more testing or more exposure. Face masks are rarely in evidence at stores or in public meetings, and more people are getting out of the house and mingling.

Social distancing and the use of face masks is still recommended by state health officials to keep the COVID-19 epidemic from spiking again in Louisiana as it has in other states recently.