On Thursday, September 23, The Plaquemines Parish council held its first meeting at the Pointe a la Hache Courthouse since Hurricane Ida. While, at the meeting, council members and the parish administration returned to handling their typical responsibilities—voting on construction permits, zoning changes, and seeking updates on development projects in the parish—the Ida recovery was still the primary focus of government officials.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to surge across the state of Louisiana in this latest wave of new-cases and deaths. While Hurricane Ida tearing through Plaquemines Parish (and the subsequent recovery) has taken the spotlight in recent weeks, the issue of a persisting COVID-19 threat continues to loom over the parish and state in general.

District 1 council member John Barthelemy filed a petition for damages against the Plaquemines Parish Government on August 26, setting up an unusual conflict between a council member and the parish government he is partially responsible for running.