LUY-Development

Tag: update

  • Mayor requests Natchez Pilgrimage, restaurants and stores close or limit number of patrons

    Mayor requests Natchez Pilgrimage, restaurants and stores close or limit number of patrons

    NATCHEZ, Miss. – The Spring Pilgrimage of Natchez’ antebellum homes has been called off as the coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt life throughout the world.

    Natchez Mayor Darryl Grennell had requested Monday that the 22 Spring Pilgrimage houses close their doors to tourists and that restaurants and stores shutter or limit their number of patrons.

    “I am extremely distressed knowing that this will cause economic hardship for us all, but it is important that we follow the lead of the national and worldwide experts,” Grennell said in a statement issued Monday evening.

    The U.S. Centers of Disease Control has recommended gatherings of people be limited to10 or less. The CDC guideline was 50 people earlier, but revised to 10 on Monday.

    Natchez Pilgrimage Tours — in its Facebook post — said the annual event will be rescheduled:

    “In light of the rising COVID-19 concerns, we have made the tough decision to postpone Natchez Spring Pilgrimage 2020. We are saddened to have to postpone, but we know it is in the best interest of everyone’s health and safety. We look forward to hosting all of our lovely visitors later in the spring. Dates will be announced soon.”

    The Spring Pilgrimage tours and events began last Saturday to continue through April 14.

    In his statement issued Monday, Grennell asked Natchez restaurants, bars and retail shops to voluntarily close or strictly limit their in-house patrons to 10 or fewer at a time and to encourage take-outs or deliveries.

    Adams County supervisors on Monday banned gatherings of people in county-owned buildings to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.

    Adams County government, as of Monday, was to continue operating with offices open, but some employees should work at home or elsewhere if possible, said Adams County Emergency Management Director Brad Bradford.

    The county board on Monday declared a state of emergency to follow the actions of the leaders of Natchez, the state and the nation in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic that’s sickened more than 180,000 people throughout the world.

    Mayor Grennell issued a state of emergency declaration for the city on Sunday. “I strongly urge everyone — individuals, schools, churches, civic and social organizations, businesses and others — to forego group activities,” the mayor said.

    It has been reported Grennell is being tested for the coronavirus as he suffers the flu.

    Natchez City Hall, as of Monday, was to remain open with reduced staffing and employees working remotely. City staff meetings are being held via teleconference.

    Several city buildings are closed, including the Natchez Convention Center and Natchez Visitors Reception Center — the tourism hub of the city.

    Three meetings at the convention center have been called off for March, said Walter Tipton, who manages the facility. The canceled conventions are tied to schools closed due to the pandemic, he said.

    “All of these are significant groups, and the economic loss to our community will be felt,” Tipton said.

    He expects the groups to reschedule their conventions in Natchez but not sure when as the convention center is closed to large public gatherings for the time being.

    The American Queen Steamboat Co. and American Cruise Lines – which dock in Natchez to bring tourists here – have halted cruises until next month.

    Mississippi’s 26 state-regulated casinos — including Magnolia Bluffs in Natchez — were ordered closed Monday night by the Mississippi Gaming Commission. Magnolia Bluffs employs about 215 people, according to commission statistics.

    Most national parks are open, as of Monday, according to the National Park Service, which operates the Natchez National Historical Park.

    Bradford, the county emergency management director, said limiting the number in crowds in one place should remain in effect for up to eight weeks.

    Among the county buildings with restrictions for large assemblies is the Adams County Courthouse. Mississippi Chief Justice Michael Randolph prohibited all state courts from having over 50 people together. In his order issued Sunday before the CDC’s 10-person limit was recommended, Mississippi’s chief court officer said circuit and chancery judges are authorized to postpone trials through May 15. Adams County residents summoned to serve as Circuit Court jurors were told not to report in today.

    Another county building is the Louis Gunning Community Saferoom – a fortress-like storm shelter. Various events are held there but will be canceled for now.

    On Saturday, Gov. Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency for Mississippi because of the coronavirus and asked that school districts extend their spring break through Friday. State law gives the Mississippi Board of Education the flexibility to waive the requirement that schools operate for 180 days.

    Bradford acknowledged the widespread disruption the pandemic is having on everyday life: “People say it’s going to be rough.” However, he pointed to the importance of the public getting accurate information to help quell “panic and fear.”

    Adams County Supervisor Kevin Wilson expressed concerns about overreacting to the coronavirus and people going “stir crazy.”

  • Virus Cases Top 100 In Louisiana As More Businesses Close

    Virus Cases Top 100 In Louisiana As More Businesses Close

    The number of coronavirus cases in the state has now topped 100, health officials said.

    The Louisiana Department of Public Health says there are 103 cases, with 74 of those in Orleans Parish. Two people have died in Louisiana.

    For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

    The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. People with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover, according to the World Health Organization.

    In New Orleans, Mayor LaToya Cantrell said it was “unacceptable” that people were ignoring a ban issued by Gov. John Bel Edwards on gatherings of more than 250 people. The violators were “actively increasing the danger to their neighbors and their loved ones,” Cantrell said.

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    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.

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    Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

  • Ability To Hold Your Breath 10 Seconds IS NOT A Test For Covid-19 Coronavirus

    Ability To Hold Your Breath 10 Seconds IS NOT A Test For Covid-19 Coronavirus

    It will not identify persons who are infected

    CLAIM: There is a simple self-check that can be done every morning to see if you have the coronavirus. Take a deep breath and hold it for more than 10 seconds. If you complete it successfully without discomfort, stuffiness or tightness it proves there is no fibrosis in the lungs, basically indicating no infection.

    AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. Medical experts say that the test would not provide a clear indication of whether someone has the novel coronavirus.

    THE FACTS: Social media users are sharing the false claim on platforms that include What’s App, Twitter and Facebook. The claim, which has three parts, first says that if a coronavirus patient goes to the hospital too late their lungs will experience 50 percent fibrosis, scarring of the lungs that restricts breathing. It goes on to suggest the 10 second breathing test, finally stating that drinking water every 15 minutes will kill the virus.

    Social media users have falsely attributed the claims to Japanese doctors, Taiwanese experts and even Stanford University.

    Lisa Kim, Stanford Health Care and school of medicine spokeswoman, said in an email that the widely distributed breathing test claim did not come from Stanford University. Despite medical experts and even the World Health Organization debunking these claims, social media users continue to share them on and off social media.

    Dr. Robert Legare Atmar, an infectious disease specialist at Baylor College of Medicine, told The Associated Press that there is no clear evidence that coronavirus causes 50 percent pulmonary fibrosis.

    Experts also said that the 10 second test being shared online would not be a reliable way to determine whether someone has the virus.

    “This approach may be helpful in identifying persons with more serious lung disease,” Atmar said. But it will not identify persons who are infected and have mild to no symptoms.”

    There are many things beyond coronavirus that could lead to restricted breathing, including asthma, anxiety or heart disease, said Dr. Gregory Poland, head of vaccine research at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. All could make it difficult to hold your breath for 10 seconds, he said.

    Throughout the coronavirus outbreak, the World Health Organization has continuously updated their social media platforms to debunk false claims around the virus. The WHO Philippines Twitter account on Feb. 7 knocked down the claim about drinking water to avoid getting the virus.

    “While staying hydrated by drinking water is important for overall health, it does not prevent coronavirus infection,” the WHO post stated.

  • Governor Tate Reeves Declares State of Emergency to Protect Public Health

    Governor Tate Reeves Declares State of Emergency to Protect Public Health

    JACKSON — Today, Governor Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency to further ramp up Mississippi’s coordinated response across all levels of government and provide health officials and administrators with the necessary tools and guidance to combat the spread of COVID-19.

    “Taking proactive measures to limit community spread, I have declared a state of emergency to deploy the necessary resources to protect public health and take care of all Mississippians. We are not taking any chances. This is our latest step to respond to COVID-19, and it will not be our last. We will continue coordinating our response efforts and prioritizing the health and well-being for all who call Mississippi home,” said Governor Tate Reeves.

    The Governor addressed the state via video shared on social media, which can be viewed here.

    For media broadcast, the address is available for direct download here.

    Throughout the rapidly changing events surrounding COVID-19, the Governor has been closely monitoring the situation and working closely with Dr. Thomas Dobbs and Director Greg Michel. The declaration enables the Mississippi State Department of Health and the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency to ramp up coordination among all state and local agencies and enable them to fast-track coordination at all levels of government in Mississippi.

    “I urge all Mississippians to use caution. This is not a time to panic—we are acting calmly and steadily. In this state, we were prepared. We have a pandemic plan that is being followed to the letter. We have tremendous experts who are operating in a way that will protect the public health and save lives. We are listening to those experts, and following their lead every step of the way,” said Governor Reeves.

    More information and updates about COVID-19 in Mississippi are available at healthyms.com.
  • Merit Health Natchez Modifies Visitor Protocols and Policies

    Merit Health Natchez Modifies Visitor Protocols and Policies

    Visitor Restrictions Are in Place for Protection of Patients, Caregivers and the Community
    NATCHEZ, Miss. –March 13, 2020 —Merit Health Natchez is asking for the community’s help in
    maintaining the safety of patients, visitors and our healthcare team members. When in the hospital for
    treatment, the best interest of our patients is to minimize unnecessary exposure to infectious or
    communicable diseases.
    If you have traveled from a high-risk area for COVID-19, have had contact with a person known to be
    infected with COVID-19, and cough, fever or difficulty breathing, patients should tell staff immediately
    and visitors should delay your visit unless seeking medical care.
    Effective today, we have implemented the following entrance and visitor restrictions:
    • There will only be two open entrances to the hospital, the main lobby entrance and the
    Emergency Department. All other entrances will be locked.
    • Only healthy, essential visitors such as immediate family, partner or significant other ages 18
    and older may visit patients.
    • Please limit visitors to one per patient.
    • ICU and Telemetry now have closed visitation with set visiting hours, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
    and 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
    • Only parents of babies are allowed in the nursery.
    • Only one visitor allowed per patient throughout stay in the areas of Labor and Delivery and the
    Emergency Department and they must be 18 years and older.
    • Patients in isolation will have additional visitor restrictions.
    If you would like to drop off a card, gift or message of encouragement, we are happy to deliver those to
    patients. You may also call a patient’s room or visit patients using Facetime or another video
    communication app.
    We appreciate the community’s understanding and compliance.
    About Merit Health Natchez
    Merit Health Natchez is a Joint Commission-accredited hospital with 179-beds and offers a broad range
    of services including emergency medicine, surgery, cardiology, labor and delivery, radiology, outpatient
    diagnostic testing, physical therapy and more. Merit Health Natchez holds additional accreditations from
    American College of Cardiology for Chest Pain Center, the American College of Radiology for
    mammography, the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, the
    Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine,
    and Advance Disease-Specific Care Certification for Acute Stroke Ready Hospital from The Joint
    Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Learn more at
    www.merithealthnatchez.com.

  • Trump declares virus pandemic a national emergency

    Trump declares virus pandemic a national emergency

    WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced Friday that he is declaring the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency, as Washington struggles with providing Americans with relief and officials race to slow the spread of the outbreak.

    Speaking from the Rose Garden, Trump said, “I am officially declaring a national emergency.” He said the emergency would open up nearly $50 billion for state and local governments to respond to the outbreak.

    Trump said he was also giving Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar emergency authorities to waive federal regulations and laws to give doctors and hospitals “flexibility” in treating patients.

    He also announced a new public-private partnership to expand coronavirus testing capabilities, as his administration has come under fire for being too slow in making the test available. The partnership will include drive-thru testing in some locations and an online portal to screen those seeking to get tested.

    Still, Trump said that officials don’t want people taking the test unless they have certain symptoms. “It’s totally unnecessary,” Trump said. He added, “This will pass.”

  • 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.

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    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.

  • Louisiana Elections Chief Requests Delay Of April Primary

    Louisiana Elections Chief Requests Delay Of April Primary

    Early voting in Louisiana’s election was scheduled to start in a week.

    BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana’s chief elections officer asked the governor on Friday to postpone the state’s April presidential primary election for two months because of the coronavirus, as the number of residents who tested positive continued to grow.

    Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin said he wants to delay the April 4 primary until June 20. He sent the emergency request to Gov. John Bel Edwards, who was expected to approve it, which would make Louisiana the first state to push back its election because of the virus.

    “This weighty decision has been made out of an absolute abundance of caution for Louisiana’s voters, voting officials and the general public as a whole,” Ardoin said, standing with local election officials to announce his request.

    Louisiana also postponed elections in 2005 after hurricanes Katrina and Rita and in 2008 after hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

    Early voting in Louisiana’s election was scheduled to start in a week. But with a large number of elderly poll workers and worldwide concerns about people gathering in groups, Ardoin’s office said it didn’t feel comfortable continuing with the election plans.

    As of Friday, the number of residents testing positive in the state had jumped to 33, centered largely in the New Orleans area, according to the state health department’s latest figures. The positive tests are awaiting confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    The number of parishes with infected residents has grown to eight, with most of those in the New Orleans area, but one case has been identified in northwest Louisiana, in Caddo Parish.

    For most people, the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. Most people recover within weeks.

    Edwards has declared a public health emergency for the state. State prisons have suspended visitation for 30 days, and hospitals and nursing homes are limiting visitor access, in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus to vulnerable populations.

    As they were around the country, events in Louisiana were being canceled. The Southern University System joined the Louisiana State University System and several New Orleans universities in moving all of its classes online. The Louisiana Legislature, only one week into its three-month session, began working on contingency plans for must-pass bills, such as the budget, in case lawmakers decide to end the session early.