3-20-20
Gov. John Bel Edwards is cautioning Louisiana residents to ready for an expected surge in coronavirus cases as testing capacity grows statewide. His warning Wednesday came coupled with already grim statistics. There are eight reported deaths from the coronavirus, the latest in St. James Parish, and the number of positive cases in Louisiana neared 300. Edwards says he doesn’t expect a statewide order for residents to shelter in place but such actions could become necessary in certain areas as the outbreak escalates.
THERE ARE TWO PEOPLE IN LAFAYETTE PARISH THAT HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED TO HAVE THE CORONAVIRUS. LAFAYETTE MAYOR PRESIDENT JOSH GUILLORY MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT LATE LAST NIGHT DURING A PRESS CONFERENCE. HE SAYS THIS IS SOMETHING THEY KNEW WAS COMING. THE TWO HAVE BEEN SELF-QUARANTINED. DR. TINA STEFANSKI WITH THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC HEALTH SAYS ADDITIONAL POSITIVE RESULTS ARE EXPECTED IN LAFAYETTE PARISH AND OTHER PARTS OF ACADIANA.
A NEW IBERIA MAN NOW LIVING IN SPAIN HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH THE CORONAVIRUS. TWENTY-THREE-YEAR-OLD MARCUS CORMIER HAS SPENT THE LAST TWO YEARS IN SPAIN TEACHING ENGLISH. CORMIER SAYS HE BEGAN EXPERIENCING SYMPTOMS A WEEK AGO MONDAY, WHICH INCLUDED FEVER AND HEADACHES AND, LATER, BREATHING PROBLEMS. HE SAYS HE’S BEEN UNDER A FIFTEEN DAY SELF-QUARANTINE AND THE SYMPTOMS ARE GOING AWAY ON THEIR OWN.
NEARLY THREE HUNDRED PEOPLE WERE SCREENED YESTERDAY AT THE CAJUNDOME CONVENTION CENTER DURING THE FIRST DAY OF SCREENINGS. LAFAYETTE MAYOR PRESIDENT JOSH GUILLORY SAYS NINETY OF THE SCREENINGS WERE TESTED. COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR JAIME ANGELLE SAYS THEY ARE WORKING TO SECURE A NEW BATCH OF TESTS IN ORDER TO RESUME THE SCREENING TODAY. GUILLORY SAYS FOUR ADDITIONAL SITES ARE PREPARED TO OPEN IF NECESSARY. THOSE SHOWING SYMPTOMS ARE URGED TO CALL 3-1-1 TO SPEAK TO A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER ABOUT WHETHER THEY SHOULD BE SCREENED.
WALMART IS MAKING SOME MAJOR CHANGES IN RESPONSE TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. THEY HAVE ANNOUNCED NEW STORE HOURS, SEVEN A-M TO EIGHT-THIRTY P-M. THIS GIVES ASSOCIATES MORE TIME TO STOCK SHELVES AND KEEP THE STORES CLEAN. WALMART IS ALSO TEMPORARILY SHUTTING DOWN THE AUTO CARE CENTERS SO THOSE ASSOCIATES CAN HELP WITH THE STOCKING AND CLEANING.
WALMART IS ALSO OFFERING A SPECIAL SHOPPING HOUR FOR SENIOR CITIZENS WHICH IS THE HOUR BEFORE THE STORE OPENS.
Bidding on federal oil and gas leases in the Gulf of Mexico is the lowest since gulf-wide sales began in August 2017, and lower even than any sale for the productive central Gulf since 1993. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management says 22 companies made $93 million in high bids Wednesday on 71 tracts. The low interest comes during a price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia and drops in drops in travel because of the new coronavirus . Oil prices plummeted Wednesday to $20.37 a barrel.
RAYNE POLICE HAVE RELEASED THE NAME OF THE PERSON KILLED MONDAY AFTERNOON IN A THREE VEHICLE ACCIDENT ON I-TEN. THE VICTIM IS SIXTY-FOUR-YEAR-OLD ROBERT GRAY JUNIOR OF DES ALLEMANDS ( des ALL munds). RAYNE POLICE SAYS GRAY WAS DRIVING A PICKUP TRUCK WHEN, FOR UNKNOWN REASONS, HE WENT OFF THE ROAD AND STRUCK A PARKED TRACTOR TRAILER, AND BOTH OF THOSE VEHICLES WERE HIT BY ANOTHER CAR. OCCUPANTS IN THE CAR AND TRACTOR TRAILER WERE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WITH MINOR INJURIES.
A WATER TOWER IN JEFF DAVIS PARISH WATER COMMISSION ONE IS UNDERGOING MAINTENANCE THAT IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY TUESDAY. RESIDENTS IN THE AREA HAVE REPORTED TO KPLC TV THAT THEY HAVE DISCOLORED WATER. AN OFFICE ASSISTANT WITH THE COMMISSION SAYS THE WATER IS DISCOLORED BECAUSE IT IS NOT GOING THROUGH AN IRON FILTER DURING MAINTENANCE, BUT HOURLY TESTS OF THE WATER SHOW IT TO BE SAFE TO DRINK. WATER COMMISSION ONE INCLUDES LACASSINE, ROANOKE, BELL CITY, HAYES, THE SOUTH SIDE OF WELSH AND PORTIONS OF JENNINGS AND LAKE ARTHUR.
