It was early March of 2020 when New Iberia and the surrounding parishes got its first presumptive case relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting the lives of the people in the Teche Area.

And while things are slowly but surely returning back to normal, over the course of the last eight-plus months, the lives and way of life of people in the community were forever changed.

It’s important to look back today, tomorrow and for years to come and remember life in New Iberia in 2020.

Everything shutting down

When COVID-19 first became a real threat in the spring of 2020, the state was at a standstill, forcing people to stay home and self-isolate and quarantine for up to 14 days under restrictions put in place by Gov. John Bel Edwards.

Edwards laid out a plan in place for the residents of the state. “Just because no one has tested positive in your community doesn’t mean that no one is sick,” the state posted at Louisiana.gov. “By enacting this Stay at Home order statewide, Gov. Edwards is working to slow the spread of COVID-19 and flatten the curve.”

It was a time where people spent more time with themselves and their families, for better or worse.

Scrambling for supplies

At the beginning of the first wave, people were testing it and the stay-at-home order like a category five hurricane. Throughout the city, stores and their shelves were being cleaned out of all the necessities, most notably hand sanitizer and even toilet paper. It was like finding a needle in a haystack at the early stages. People were being extra cautious, which was a good thing at the time.

Trying to find some sense of normalcy

Months later, COVID-19 has gotten progressively worse. The cases and death count continue to rise but there is some sense of hope with vaccines soon to be available to the residents of Louisiana. People are wearing masks, for the most part, and bars and restaurants are opening up more and more now. People are trying to return to normal. And while it’ll take time, it’s the start of going back to how it was before.

From local business shutting down, even a mass shortage of supplies, COVID-19 has affected the lives of the people in New Iberia. With 2021 officially here, it’s important to look back and remember how things were and what was the most impactful.