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Louisiana surpasses 4,000 known COVID-19 deaths
Louisiana surpassed 4,000 deaths attributed to COVID-19, though the actual death toll is assumed to be higher since some people suspected to have the virus died without being tested for it. The state recorded 50 new deaths Thursday, bringing the official count to 4,028, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. Those newly reported deaths […]
Louisiana says it’s getting ‘mass testing’ of prisoners underway
Gov. John Bel Edwards said Louisiana has started a “mass testing” program for COVID-19 in prisons weeks after experts said the state should be doing more to monitor for coronavirus in correctional facilities. The state intends to test inmates and staff at the Allen, Raymond LaBorde, and Rayburn correctional centers. The testing at Allen — […]
Louisiana: 5 numbers that explain our coronavirus outbreak right now
There’s a lot of data getting released about Louisiana’s coronavirus outbreak each day. It can be overwhelming. Here’s a few numbers we’ve cherry picked to help give you a better understanding of what’s going on during this pandemic — or at least what’s going on this week. Number one in the country for coronavirus cases […]
Local government coronavirus relief will mostly go to public safety, criminal justice
The bulk of Louisiana’s approximately $500 million in coronavirus relief funding for local governments will go to public safety and criminal justice system costs, unless Congress and President Donald Trump expand the way the money can be used. Louisiana received a total of $1.8 billion in coronavirus relief money, and the federal government required that […]
Louisiana sets a daily coronavirus case record
Louisiana set a new record Wednesday when it reported 2,802 new COVID-19 cases, that is, cases that cannot be significantly attributed to a backlog of old tests. The previous high point had been on April 2, when Louisiana reported 2,726 new COVID-19 cases. The number backs up what Gov. John Bel Edwards and other state […]
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards extends coronavirus restrictions
Gov. John Bel Edwards will extend the state’s current coronavirus restrictions — including its face covering mandate, 50-person gathering cap and bar closures — for an additional two weeks Friday. The limitations, commonly referred to as “Phase 2”, will now go until Aug. 7, the day after Louisiana’s public school students are scheduled to resume […]
Louisiana sets up rental assistance program for people affected by economic slowdown
Louisiana has set up a rental assistance program for people who are in jeopardy of losing their housing. The program is starting out with $7 million in federal funding, and is expected to grow to at least $24 million. Officials said they are also searching for more financial support. The assistance is available on a […]
Louisiana’s $250 front-line worker payment may run out by the end of the week
Louisiana’s supplemental $250 payments for front-line workers looks likely to run out in the next day or so. Gov. John Bel Edwards encouraged people who qualify to file their applications in a matter of hours if they want to receive a payment. The state has already received 125,000 applications for the $250 payment since the […]
Forty-two percent of Louisiana inmates tested have been positive for COVID-19
Since the beginning of April, Louisiana has tested about 10 percent of the state inmates that reside in the state prison system for COVID-19, and over 40 percent of the prisoners tested have been positive for the virus, according to data provided by the state Department of Corrections Thursday. Since the beginning of the pandemic, […]
Two huge COVID-19 surges make Louisiana an outlier in the U.S.
In April, the United States COVID-19 outbreak greatly affected a handful of states including New York, New Jersey, Michigan, Massachusetts and Louisiana. Now in July, the United States COVID-19 outbreak is affecting a different group of states including Arizona, Florida, South Carolina and Texas. But it’s also affecting Louisiana – again. Most states with COVID-19 surges […]
Louisiana’s largest healthcare provider scales back community COVID-19 testing
Ochsner Health, Louisiana’s largest healthcare provider, will put new limitations on its community testing program for COVID-19 even as state health officials warn about a surge in new infections. The hospital system needs to preserve its testing capacity for hospital patients, said Dr. Sandra Kemmerly, the system medical director of hospital quality, in an interview […]
Louisiana sees largest daily spike in coronavirus cases since April
Louisiana reported its largest daily increase in COVID-19 cases in three months Wednesday (July 1), with more than 2,000 tests for coronavirus coming back positive. “This disease is coming back, and it’s coming back with a vengeance, and we better start getting serious,” said Jimmy Guidry, the state health officer. Not all of the cases […]