A few months ago, Gov. John Bel Edwards told state workers that once a coronavirus vaccine received full approval, they would likely face a choice: get vaccinated or undergo regular testing.
Edwards said testing requirements for unvaccinated workers would ensure they were not spreading the deadly disease. But no such testing regiment has been implemented, even after the U.S. Food & Drug Administration granted full approval to the Pfizer vaccine.
Edwards said the undertaking proved too difficult.
Hurricane Ida is partly to blame. The catastrophic storm made landfall shortly after the FDA granted the vaccine full approval, and officials have had little time in its aftermath to focus on setting up a testing system for state workers.
Edwards said a nationwide shortage in rapid COVID tests is also to blame. Though Louisiana’s Department of Health has around 150,000 rapid tests in stock, much of those are being used to support testing in K-12 schools and areas impacted by Ida. But even if the supplies were sufficient, it’s unclear how Louisiana would coordinate making those tests available to its workers. The state employs more than 40,000 people in offices in all 64 parishes. The Health Department said it isn’t feasible to set up testing sites at every state office.
