12-3-20
THERE WERE THREE THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED SEVENTY NEW CASES OF COVID-NINETEEN IN YESTERDAY’S REPORT FROM THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. HOWEVER, THEY SAY MORE THAN FIFTEEN HUNDRED OF THEM ARE BACKLOG CASES THAT GO BACK AS FAR AS APRIL. THERE ARE THIRTY SEVEN MORE DEATHS IN THE STATE FROM COVID-NINETEEN, MOVING THE TOTAL TO OVER SIX THOUSAND, TWO HUNDRED. HOSPITALIZATIONS INCREASED SLIGHTLY BY EIGHT, WHILE THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS ON VENTILATORS INCREASED BY SIX.
THERE ARE ELEVEN NEW DEATHS FROM COVID-NINETEEN IN ACADIANA, WHICH PUTS THE TOTAL OVER EIGHT HUNDRED FOR THE REGION. ST. LANDRY PARISH HAD FIVE DEATHS, IBERIA THREE, WHILE ST. MARTIN, LAFAYETTE AND VERMILLION PARISHES HAD ONE EACH. THERE WERE NO NEW DEATHS IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA. ACADIANA HAD NEARLY TWO HUNDRED NEW COVID-NINETEEN CASES, INCLUDING SEVENTY-ONE IN LAFAYETTE PARISH. THE TOTAL FOR LAFAYETTE PARISH HAS SURPASSED TWELVE THOUSAND, WHILE ACADIA PARISH’S TOTAL IS NOW OVER FOUR THOUSAND FOR THE FIRST TIME. SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA HAS SEVENTY-SIX NEW CASES, INCLUDING THIRTY-THREE IN CALCASIEU PARISH.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says his state should receive its first doses of a coronavirus vaccine within weeks if the proposed drug wins federal approval as expected. He says Louisiana’s frontline hospital workers and nursing home residents and staff should be vaccinated by the early part of January. The first glimpse of those vaccine details came at a Wednesday briefing where Edwards was joined by Adm. Brett Giroir (JEER wah), the federal assistant health secretary who oversees U.S. testing operations for the Trump administration. Giroir cautioned that it still will be months before most people have access to a vaccine.
EVANGELINE PARISH STUDENTS ARE NOW ABLE TO GET TESTED IN SCHOOL FOR COVID-NINETEEN. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS RECEIVED THOUSANDS OF TEST KITS THAT ARE ABLE TO GIVE RESULTS WITHIN FIFTEEN MINUTES. THE KITS ARE FREE AND MEANT TO KEEP SCHOOLS OPEN. FACULTY AND STUDENTS WHO SHOW SYMPTOMS WILL BE TESTED BY THE SCHOOL NURSE AND, IF THE TEST IS POSITIVE, THEY WILL BE REQUIRED TO QUARANTINE AND FOLLOW UP WITH THEIR DOCTOR.
A BICYCLIST WAS KILLED LAST NIGHT IN LAFAYETTE. IT HAPPENED ON THE NORTHWEST EVANGELINE THRUWAY AND CASTILLE AVENUE AT AROUND TEN-THIRTY LAST NIGHT, WHEN A VEHICLE STRUCK THE BICYCLIST. POLICE HAVE NOT YET RELEASED THE IDENTITY OF THE VICTIM. POLICE SERGEANT WAYNE GRIFFIN SAYS THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE IS COOPERATING WITH OFFICERS.
THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL’S OFFICE IS INVESTIGATING A DEADLY HOUSE FIRE IN ABBEVILLE THAT HAPPENED EARLY YESTERDAY MORNING. SYLVIA MASTERS REPORTS.
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LAST NIGHT THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD APPROVED A NEW DISCIPLINE POLICY FOR VIRTUAL CLASSROOMS. THE VOTE WAS UNANIMOUS FOR THE POLICY, WHICH STATES THAT BEHAVIOR CONSIDERED INAPPROPRIATE IN A REGULAR CLASSROOM IS EQUALLY INAPPROPRIATE IN THE VIRTUAL CLASSROOM. STUDENTS COULD FACE DISCIPLINARY ACTION FOR BEHAVIORS IN FRONT OF THE CLASSROOM THAT INCLUDES BULLYING, HARASSMENT, PROFANITY, AND WEAPONS, INCLUDING TOYS THAT LOOK LIKE WEAPONS. THE DISCIPLINE INCLUDES ANYTHING FROM A VERBAL WARNING TO A SEVERE PENALTY, EVEN FOR A FIRST OFFENSE.
THE CITY OF LAKE CHARLES IS HIRING A CONSULTING FIRM TO HELP THEM GET THE MOST MONEY THEY CAN FOR RECOVERY EFFORTS. THE CITY IS TAKING PART IN THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAM THROUGH FEMA THAT HELPS CITIES WITH OVERWHELMING RECOVERY COSTS. CITY EXPENSES, SUCH AS FOR DEBRIS REMOVAL AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS MEASURES, CAN BE REIMBURSED BY FEMA. THE CONSULTANTS WILL HELP THE CITY OF LAKE CHARLES FOLLOW FEMA GUIDELINES SO THEY ARE REIMBURSED.
