LUY-Development

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  • Louisiana “Stay at Home” Order issued By Gov. Edwards

    Louisiana “Stay at Home” Order issued By Gov. Edwards

    Today, Gov. John Bel Edwards issued a statewide Stay at Home order that goes into effect at 5 p.m. Monday, March 23, to further fight the spread of COVID-19 in Louisiana, as the number of confirmed cases have topped 800 and spread to more than half of our parishes.

    • Click here to read the Governor’s statewide Stay at Home order.
    • Click here to see graphics.

    “In Louisiana we have taken aggressive measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and flatten the curve; however, this is not enough. As our number of cases continue to grow, I am directing all Louisianans to stay at home unless it is absolutely necessary for you to leave. I am implementing this measure to help prevent you from becoming infected or infecting someone else. People can leave their homes to do essential things like buying groceries or food, pick up medicine or go to work only if their job is essential. If you have to go out, make sure you practice social distancing measures and keep 6 feet between you and the people around you. People are encouraged to go outside and to stay active during this time, as long as they practice social distancing when they are around their neighbors,” Gov. Edwards said. “This order is not something I take lightly, but it is necessary to protect the health, safety and well-being of our people, our communities and our way of life.”

    The order is set to expire at the end of the night on Sunday, April 12. The Governor will re-evaluate the need for the statewide Stay at Home order and other mitigation measures currently in place to determine if they need to be extended beyond April 12.

    The Governor previously ordered all K-12 public schools, casinos, bars movie theatres, gyms and fitness centers closed and restricted restaurants to take-out, drive-through and delivery orders only. He has also moved the state’s April 4 elections and limited crowd size.

    For businesses, the new Stay at Home order has limits on the following:

    • All places of public amusement, whether indoors or outdoors, including but not limited to, locations with amusement rides, carnivals, amusement parks, water parks, trampoline parks, aquariums, zoos, museums, arcades, fairs, pool halls, children’s play centers, playgrounds, theme parks, any theaters, concert and music halls, adult entertainment venues, racetracks, and other similar businesses.
    • All personal care and grooming businesses, including but not limited to, barber shops, beauty salons, nail salons, spas, massage parlors, tattoo parlors, and other similar businesses.
    • All malls, except for stores in a mall that have a direct outdoor entrance and exit that provide essential services and products as provided by the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) guidelines.
    • Businesses closed to the public as listed in the order can conduct necessary activities such as payroll, cleaning services, maintenance or upkeep as necessary.
    • Any business not covered by the guidance from the CISA discussed in Section 3 of the order and not ordered to temporarily close must reduce operations to continue with minimum contact with members of the public and essential employees, while requiring proper social distancing, adhering to the 10-person limitation on gathering size.
    • Early learning centers and child care facilities adhering to the guidance issued by the Louisiana Department of Education and Office of Public Health may continue to operate.

    Examples of Essential Worker Functions under the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) guidelines include:

    • Healthcare workers and caregivers
    • Mental health and Social Service workers
    • Pharmacy employees
    • Workers supporting groceries, pharmacies and other retail sales of food and beverage products
    • Restaurant carryout and quick-serve food operations and food delivery employees
    • Farm workers
    • Electricity and Utility Industry Employees
    • Critical Manufacturing Employees (medical supply chains, energy, transportation, food, chemicals)
    • Petroleum, Natural and Propane Gas Workers
    • Transportation and Logistics Workers
    • Communications and Information Technology Employees
    • Financial Services and Banking Industry Employees

    See CISA essential business guidelines here.

    Members of the public will still be allowed to go to grocery stores and pharmacies to pick up food, medicine and necessary supplies, go to their essential jobs and to go outside for exercise and fresh air. When leaving their home, people should practice social distancing.

    OTHER ORDERS FROM THE GOVERNOR:

    Gov. Edwards has issued a number of orders designed to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in Louisiana and flatten the curve. They are:

    In addition, Gov. Edwards issued a proclamation on March 13 moving Louisiana’s elections, which can be found here.

     

  • March 22: COVID-19 Coronavirus Cases Reported In 36 Louisiana Parishes

    March 22: COVID-19 Coronavirus Cases Reported In 36 Louisiana Parishes

    Rural Parishes Starting To Report COVID19 Coronavirus Infections

    Graphic courtesy of the Louisiana Department Of Health

    If you have questions about coronavirus, please contact the Louisiana 211 Network by dialing dial 211. Or, you can text the keyword LACOVID to 898-211 for the most current information about the outbreak as it becomes available.

     

  • Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards Thanks Healthcare Workers

    Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards Thanks Healthcare Workers

    Governor Edwards Posts Thank-You Letter And Video On Social Media

    The Governor published a sincere letter of appreciation to all healthcare workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak in Louisiana:

    “My mother was a nurse and I learned many years ago that not all heroes wear capes…With all of my heart, and on behalf of the entire state, I want to thank you for your relentless efforts and your service to our brothers and sisters and most vulnerable Louisiana residents.”

    The Governor also made a video for social media, thanking healthcare workers for their efforts.

     

     

  • Louisiana Expands Drive-Thru Testing For Coronavirus

    Louisiana Expands Drive-Thru Testing For Coronavirus

    Coronavirus cases have been reported in 35 of the state’s 64 parishes.

    BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Drive-thru testing for the coronavirus in the New Orleans area will be extended to a wider range of people as the number of infections and deaths in Louisiana continues to increase, state health officials said Saturday.

    Three such federally funded test sites are operating in the state, two in New Orleans and one that opened Saturday in nearby Jefferson Parish. Initially, the tests were accessible only to health care workers and first-responders showing symptoms consistent with the COVID-19 disease caused by the virus.

    Beginning Sunday, testing will be offered to anyone with a fever or other symptoms, the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness and the New Orleans Health Department said in a news release.

    Testing in New Orleans is taking place in the parking lots of the Mahalia Jackson Theater and the University of New Orleans Lakefront Arena, and in Jefferson Parish at the Alario Event Center. The New Orleans sites will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. or until 100 people have been tested at each site, officials said. The Jefferson Parish site will operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a cap of 250 tests per day.

    Louisiana has one of the nation’s highest per capita rates of infection, Gov. John Bel Edwards has said, with New Orleans at the epicenter of the state’s outbreak.

    The number of known virus infections in Louisiana had jumped to more than 760 as of Saturday, and at least 20 people have died, according to health department figures. Coronavirus cases have been reported in 35 of the state’s 64 parishes.

     

  • Backyard Gardeners Help Bring Back Native Wildflower

    Backyard Gardeners Help Bring Back Native Wildflower

    The Louisiana iris is the official state wildflower of Louisiana.

    HOUMA, La. (AP) — As coronavirus chaos grips the world, Laura Browning finds comfort in the flowers in her yard.

    “My yard is my retreat from the rest of the world,” the Montegut resident said. “I don’t even hear the phone ring. I just like listening to the birds. I’ve always had a yard full of wonderful, gorgeous flowers.”

    Browning’s property is populated by dozens of flora like roses, azaleas and mulberries, to name a few. One of the wildflowers that thrives there is the Louisiana iris.

    louisiana iris

    Browning, a former school teacher, donated 350 of her native wild irises growing on her property last spring to the Greater New Orleans Iris Society to replenish the irises in the New Orleans area. Browning’s white and blue irises now bloom in City Park, Jean Lafitte National Park and other locations.

    “The white species irises are what caught their attention in a big, big way because they’re very rare,” Browning said. “The blue irises used to grow wild in every ditch and waterway in Southeast Louisiana but they’re greatly reduced now.”

    Browning said her late husband spotted the white irises while bird watching eight years ago in Lafourche and brought them home to her as a gift to add to her already vibrant garden.

    According to the Greater New Orleans Iris Society, native species irises can still be found in freshwater swamps in low wild areas, but the natural spaces in which the wildflowers grow have diminished over the years.

    The Louisiana iris is the official state wildflower of Louisiana.

    Large fields of wild native irises once grew plentiful in Southeast Louisiana but salt water intrusion and development have blighted them, the organization said. The Louisiana Iris Restoration Project aims to save the wildflowers so that they may thrive once again so they can be planted back in the marshes that are now behind hurricane protection barriers.

    “It’s an amazing project to be a part of,” Browning said. “I’m a plant person and probably have about 100 irises in bloom right now. My parents bought this property back in the ’50s and the irises have been growing there ever since I could remember. That’s one of the reasons why they were so fascinated by them because the irises were untouched. The irises are just an absolute joy for me.”

    Gary Salathe, a member of the Greater New Orleans Iris Society, said Browning’s donations will benefit future generations to come.

    “We’re reintroducing irises where they’re being killed by salt water and putting them in places where the public can see them,” Salathe said. “They used to be everywhere but are harder now for people to find unless you’re in a boat or kayak. We’ve donated over 2,000 wild native irises to Nicholls State University to propagate as well as part of a partnership with them formed in 2019. Louisiana irises will double in number every year. When someone gives us a donation of these native irises like this we can literally split them up and have twice as many each year because they double in number each year. Laura has thousands of them on her property.”

    The Greater New Orleans Iris Society depends on donations of wild species irises such as Browning’s to help replenish them where they once grew in great numbers, Salathe said.

    “The blue ones may be abundant in isolated areas of some swamps, but have disappeared or are significantly reduced in others because every time a storm comes out of the Gulf of Mexico salt water is pushed in to where the freshwater irises live, ” he said. “It’s all about preservation and restoration.”

    When it comes to saving or growing native irises, Browning said she doesn’t hesitate to get her hands dirty.

    “It’s astounding to be part of a group that’s so passionate about a native flower,” she said. “I never feel better than when I’m playing in the dirt.”

  • March 20 COVID19 Coronavirus Update For Louisiana

    March 20 COVID19 Coronavirus Update For Louisiana

    The Louisiana Department of Health confirms the COVID-19 related death of an out-of-state resident from Mississippi at a facility in St. Tammany Parish. Mississippi officials are aware.

    The LDH COVID-19 dashboard does not include data on out-of-state residents, as that information is included in other states’ case counts.

    LDH will continue to report COVID-19 related deaths twice per day, at 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., as needed.

    While older individuals and those with underlying medical conditions are at greater risk, everyone can become exposed to COVID-19 and must be vigilant to protect their health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some of the serious chronic health conditions include heart disease, diabetes and lung disease.

    For updates on positive cases and deaths, visit the Louisiana Department of Health’s COVID-19 webpage.

    Everyone is warned to take the necessary precautions to help limit the spread of COVID-19 and stay safe and healthy.

    These precautions include:

    • Washing your hands for at least 20 seconds and frequently
    • Covering your cough or sneeze with your arm
    • Avoiding touching your face
    • Routinely cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces
    • Avoiding close contact with others
    • And staying home if you are sick

  • National Guard Deployed To Support Hospitals, Set Up Testing Sites

    National Guard Deployed To Support Hospitals, Set Up Testing Sites

    State Governors To Use The Guard In Ways They Deem Most Effective

    General Joseph L. Lengyel, 28th Chief of the National Guard Bureau announced today (March 19) that about 2500 National Guard members will be deployed in 27 states to help with COVID19 coronavirus response efforts across the US.

    General Lengyel shared news of what the Guard is doing in various states:

    The New York National Guard is helping local officials distribute food, much of it in the hard-hit area of New Rochelle.

    A Tennessee Air National Guard C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft delivered 500,000 swabs to be added to COVID-19 test kits in Memphis Wednesday.

    More than 500 soldiers are assisting with collecting samples from drive-through testing in Broward County, Florida.

    In Maryland, the National Guard is supporting medical assessments and testing site operations.

    The Wisconsin National Guard is supporting transportation missions for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

    In Louisiana, Guard liaison officers are assisting the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security in emergency preparedness.

    Across the U.S., civil support teams are supporting the local departments of health with drive-through testing stations.

    So far, six members of the Guard in the U.S. have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the General. Force health protection measures are in place to prevent more from contracting the virus.

  • Miss-Lou Schools Provide Free Breakfast And Lunch For Schoolchildren

    Miss-Lou Schools Provide Free Breakfast And Lunch For Schoolchildren

    Local schools are trying to keep students fed during the coronavirus outbreak.

     

    Mississippi

    ADAMS COUNTY

    UPDATE:  The school district has stopped meal services according to this announcement on April 6th:

    AMITE COUNTY

    CLAIBORNE COUNTY

    FRANKLIN COUNTY

    The Franklin County School District will be serving GRAB AND GO meals to ALL children beginning Tuesday, March 24, 2020. Free breakfast and lunches will be available to children 18 and under. Children DO NOT have to be a Franklin County student. No ID is required. Per Federal regulations, children MUST be present to claim their meal.  Meals will be distributed Monday – Friday from 11AM – 1 PM. Meals may be received in the circle in front of the high school cafeteria or at one of the following school bus drop off locations. Children should not leave their vehicle. The meals will be delivered to the vehicle. Each child will receive a lunch and a breakfast at the time of pick up. The lunch is intended for immediate consumption and the breakfast is intended for consumption the following day.

    Bude Apartments from 11:00 am- 11:30am

    RoseHill Church on Hwy 98 11:45am12:15pm

    Fox Run Apartments 11:00am-11:20am

    McCall Creek Fire Station 11:30am-11:50am

    Granny’s Corner Store 12:00pm-12:20pm

    Mt Sinai Church (Bunkley) 11:00am-11:20am

    Mt Olive Church (Kirby) 11:35am-12:05pm

    Hamburg Store 12:20pm-12:40pm

    Roxie City Hall/Park 11:00am-11:20am

    Roxie BP Gas Station 11:25am-11:45am

    Lower Bunkley Rd/Hwy 33 South 11:55am-12:15pm

    Zion Church (Whiteapple) 12:25pm-1:00pm

    JEFFERSON COUNTY

    Grab-and-go meals for everyone 18 and younger.  Kids getting the free lunch must be in the car to receive a lunch.

    Available from 10:30 a.m. until noon

    Pick up spots at:

    Baseball park in Fayette

    Baseball park in Redlic

    Bethlehem Baptist Church in Cannonsburg

    Hickory Block United Methodist in Union Church

    Old Country Store in Lorman

    LINCOLN COUNTY

    Brookhaven School District

    Brookhaven School District is offering Free grab-and-go meals for anyone 18 and under starting the week of March 23rd.  Children must be present in the vehicle to receive a lunch.  Children do not have to be students of the Brookhaven School District, and they don’t have to qualify for free/reduced price meals during the year.  Grab-and-go lunches will be available from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m weekdays at:

    Lipsey School

    Mullins School

     

    PIKE COUNTY

    WILKINSON COUNTY

    Other Miss-Lou Counties are developing a plan to keep their students fed during the closures.  When they have a plan, we’ll update this post.

     

    Louisiana

     CONCORDIA PARISH

    The Concordia Parish School board is working the Healthy School Food Collaborative to deliver shelf-stable, easy-to-prepare meals directly to residences.

    Click this link below and fill out the form in order to sign up your Concordia Parish student to receive delivered meals to your residence.

    CATAHOULA PARISH

    Students will be able to grab-and-go breakfast and lunch from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday through Thursday of each week. All meals will be distributed outside of the school buildings. This starts Monday, March 16 at the following locations:

    Block High School–pick up at Jonesville Elementary

    Central High School–drive in by the classroom buildings and gym and stop at side-walk to cafeteria building. An employee will help you from there.

    Harrisonburg High School–pick up meals at door to cafeteria

    Jonesville Elementary–pick up meals at end door of cafeteria

    Sicily Island High–drive in by elementary building and around to cafeteria. An employee will help you from there.

    TENSAS PARISH

    The district is suspending food food distribution until after Easter. Please note that the governor will be extending his order closing schools through the end of April; therefore, we will continue our food distribution in all three communities as per the schedule below for the month of April:

    Tuesday, April 14

    Thursday, April 16

    Monday, April 20

    Wednesday, April 22

    Monday, April 27

    Wednesday, April 29

    Please stay tuned to our website:  www.tensasedu.org and our Facebook page for updates.

    Newellton Elementary School parking lot 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

    Waterproof — Old Cross Keys Bank on Main Street 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

    St. Joseph — Tensas High School Cafeteria (behind school — pick up only) 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m

    AVOYELLES PARISH

    In Avoyelles Parish, breakfasts and lunches will be available for pickup at various locations.  In Avoyelles Parish, pickup is between 10:30 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays through Fridays at the following locations:

    Avoyelles High

    Bunkie Elementary

    Cottonport Elementary

    Lafargue Elementary

    Marksville Elementary

    Plaucheville Elementary

    Riverside Elementary

  • Gov. Edwards Signs Proclamation Aimed to Slow the Spread of COVID-19 in Louisiana

    Gov. Edwards Signs Proclamation Aimed to Slow the Spread of COVID-19 in Louisiana

    Gov. John Bel Edwards today signed a proclamation that among other actions immediately halts any gathering of more than 250 people until Monday, April 13, closes all K-12 public schools statewide effective Monday, March 16 resuming Monday, April 13, as Louisiana seeks to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the state. As of mid-day Friday, Louisiana has 33 presumptive positive cases of COVID-19.

    The Governor will address this order at his 3 p.m. joint media briefing with New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell at New Orleans City Hall, which will also be live-streamed at Facebook.com/LouisianaGov.

    “We are at an inflection point now and we are going to take bold action to minimize the further spread of this illness. That is why I am issuing this order today, ending all events of more than 250 people, closing our schools, and reducing the amount of face-to-face public interaction at state government buildings,” Gov. Edwards said. “In a separate executive order, I will grant Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin’s request to move our upcoming elections for April and May to June and July. The limits on gatherings of 250 people or more statewide is based on federal CDC guidance given the community spread which we are currently experiencing. These steps are necessary to protect the health and safety of the people of Louisiana from the risk of COVID-19.”

  • Louisiana Urged To Reduce Jail Population To Combat Spread of Covid-19

    Louisiana Urged To Reduce Jail Population To Combat Spread of Covid-19

    BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The Louisiana branch of the American Civil Liberties Union urged corrections officials to reduce the state’s jail and prison population in order to combat the spread of the new coronavirus.

    In a news release Thursday, the ACLU said officials should expedite parole hearings for elderly prison inmates and immediately release those in jails awaiting trials who aren’t considered safety risks.

    Their request came amid growing concern about the spread of the coronavirus in Louisiana.

    Gov. John Bel Edwards said the number of people testing positive for the COVID-19 disease caused by the virus grew to 19 by Thursday afternoon, only three days after the state’s first case was reported.

    Edwards declared a public health emergency Wednesday. On Thursday, the state corrections department suspended visitation at all state prisons for 30 days, while visitor access was limited at nursing homes and hospitals around Louisiana, in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus to vulnerable populations.

    Advocates said standard hygiene practices, such as frequent hand washing, aren’t possible in jails and prisons. Some inmates could have limited access to sinks and alcohol-based hand sanitizer is usually considered contraband.

    Prisoner rights advocates argued that since the elderly and people with preexisting health conditions are at a higher risk of catching the virus, they shouldn’t be incarcerated during the outbreak, if at all possible.

    Advocates said those in jail awaiting trial also shouldn’t be imprisoned if they don’t pose a risk to public safety, especially since sometimes those inmates are simply too poor to post bail.

    The ACLU is also advocating for humanitarian parole release of all refugees and asylum-seekers being held in Louisiana. According to the organization, Louisiana holds the second-highest number of immigrant detainees in the U.S.

    The corrections department didn’t immediately comment on the ACLU’s request.

    ___

    The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.