Health
COVID-19 cases are straining the state’s healthcare capacity, Gov. Edwards warns
As the state of Louisiana reached a grim milestone of more than 100,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, Gov. John Bel Edwards and officials from the two biggest hospitals in Acadiana said Thursday that the surging number of cases, including among health-care workers, is putting Louisiana at risk of running out of staff to treat incoming […]
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 […]
Vaccine makers say a COVID-19 shot could be available in early 2021
WASHINGTON — Leaders of the companies working on some of the top candidates for COVID-19 vaccines predict they should have shots available by early 2021, but said they will rely on the federal government to determine how to distribute them. The heads of five biopharmaceutical companies with promising vaccine candidates told members of Congress Tuesday […]
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’s face-mask order gets push back from multiple sources across the state
Governor John Bel Edwards’ new mask mandate is getting push back and resistance from officials, businesses and attorneys across Louisiana. A Jefferson Parish law firm is even offering to represent, at no cost, businesses that are reprimanded for violating the mask mandate. Stephen Petit, an attorney and founder of Petit Law Firm in Harahan, on his […]
Child advocates warned of a surge in abuse cases, but there’s no evidence that’s happened
The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) has seen a nearly 50 percent decline in the number of hotline reports of suspected child abuse and neglect since March. While some have warned that school closures related to the novel coronavirus would cause a spike in the number of children being abused, experts say […]
White House leans on Louisiana to reopen schools
BATON ROUGE — Vice President Mike Pence visited the Louisiana State University campus Tuesday to meet with the state’s top leaders to discuss reopening schools next month. Pence’s message was clear: the White House wants Louisiana to fully open all its schools despite the state’s high rate of COVID-19 cases. Pence arrived on Air Force […]
Health equity task force to create dashboard to provide COVID-19 data
The Louisiana Covid-19 Health Equity Task Force is creating a dashboard that will allow Louisiana residents to access information related to racial inequities in the state’s health care system. That dashboard, which was discussed at a Friday afternoon meeting of the task force, is meant for residents, policymakers and community leaders and will, its members […]
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, […]
Gov. John Bel Edwards: Louisiana Bars must close and face masks must be worn
Baton Rouge — On one of the worst days in Louisiana’s fight with the coronavirus, Gov. John Bel Edwards held a press conference Saturday to announce an order shutting down all bars and mandating citizens to wear face coverings. The new restrictions will take effect at 12:01 Monday morning. Edwards, a Democrat, had previously declined to […]
Vice President Mike Pence to visit Baton Rouge Tuesday to discuss Louisiana’s COVID-19 response
Louisiana, especially the Baton Rouge area, has seen a disturbing spike in COVID-19 cases, which has caused the federal government to make the capital city one of three cities nationwide where it’s adding 5,000 COVID-19 tests a day. Vice President Mike Pence, who leads the federal government’s coronavirus task force, will travel to Baton Rouge […]
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 […]