3-24-20
Gov. John Bel Edwards is calling on Louisiana residents to comply with his “stay at home” order. Edwards ordered the state’s 4.6 million residents to voluntarily stay at home unless they need to carry out essential tasks such as getting food or medicine. First responders and workers in grocery stores, pharmacies, doctors’ offices and other critical operations are exempt from the directive. Edwards says Louisiana has the third-highest per-capita rate of confirmed infection.
THE STATE NOW HAS OVER A THOUSAND CORONAVIRUS CASES. IN THE NEW UPDATE FROM THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, THERE ARE NOW ONE THOUSAND, ONE-HUNDRED-SEVENTY-TWO CASES, AND THIRTY FOUR DEATHS. THE IMPACT IN ACADIANA AND SOUTH LOUISIANA IS STILL MINIMAL. LAFAYETTE PARISH LEADS THE WAY WITH NINE CASES. THERE ARE NO DEATHS FROM THE CORONAVIRUS IN THOSE AREAS. THE NEXT UPDATE COMES AT NOON TODAY.
ACADIA PARISH HAS ITS SECOND CASE OF THE CORONAVIRUS. THE OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS DIRECTOR WAS NOTIFIED OF THE SECOND CASE AT AROUND TWO YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. THE ACADIA PARISH POLICE JURY SAYS THEY WILL ISSUE A FORMAL STATEMENT WHEN THEY HAVE MORE INFORMATION. THE POLICE JURY IS WORKING WITH THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.
A PHYSICIAN AT A LAFAYETTE HOSPITAL HAS CONFIRMED COMMUNITY SPREAD OF THE CORONAVIRUS, ACCORDING TO JAMIE ANGELLE, THE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR THE LAFAYETTE CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT. COMMUNITY SPREAD MEANS SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO ARE INFECTED ARE NOT SURE HOW THEY GOT THE VIRUS OR WHERE THEY BECAME INFECTED. MAYOR PRESIDENT JOSH GUILLORY HAS STRESSED THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE NON-ESSENTIAL WORKERS STAY HOME TO HELP STOP THE SPREAD. LAFAYETTE PARISH SHERIFF MARK GARBER ASKS RESIDENTS TO REPORT WHEN THEY DON’T SEE OTHERS FOLLOWING THE GOVERNOR’S STAY AT HOME ORDER, AND HIS DEPUTIES WILL GO AND APPEAL TO THE VIOLATER’S COMMON SENSE AND REASONING.
PEOPLE ARE CONTINUING TO USE THE DRIVE THROUGH CORONAVIRUS SCREENING SITE AT THE CAJUNDOME. CAROLINE MARCELLO HAS MORE.
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THE MAYOR OF ABBEVILLE AND THE CITY COUNCIL SAY THEY WILL MOVE AHEAD WITH CUTTING OFF THE UTILITY SERVICES OF NONPAYING CUSTOMERS. LAST FRIDAY, THE GOVERNOR AND THE LOUISIANA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION ISSUED AN ORDER FORBIDDING SERVICE CUTOFFS, BUT THAT DOESN’T APPLY TO UTILITIES RUN BY LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE ISSUED A STATEMENT SAYING THEY HOPED OTHER SYSTEMS WOULD FOLLOW THEIR LEAD AND NOT CAUSE CUSTOMERS TO WORRY ABOUT HAVING THEIR UTLITIES SHUT OFF. A SPOKESMAN FOR ABBEVILLE MAYOR MARK PIAZZA SAYS NO CUSTOMERS HAVE BEEN CUT OFF AND THEY ARE WORKING WITH INDIVIDUALS.
TWO YOUNG SISTERS FROM LAKE CHARLES, NAMED HANNAH AND HARPER, WERE LOOKING AT NOT HAVING THAT GREAT OF A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION AS THE PARTY VENUE THEY WERE GOING TO CLOSED DOWN BECAUSE OF THE CORONAVIRUS. BUT MOM CAME THROUGH AND ORGANIZED A PARADE OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS WHO MARCHED ON THE STREET PAST THEIR HOUSE, THROWING TREATS AND BRINGING PRESENTS. IT WAS A WAY TO KEEP SOCIAL DISTANCING WHILE CREATING A MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE FOR HER DAUGHTERS. MOM TELLS KPLC TV THAT SHE’LL RESCHEDULE THE GIRL’S PARTY WHEN THINGS RETURN TO NORMAL.
A LAKE CHARLES MAN, ACCUSED OF FOUR ARMED ROBBERIES, HAS BEEN ARRESTED. SEVERAL POLICE OFFICERS TOOK TWENTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD TIMOTHY RELL ORE INTO CUSTODY AT AN APARTMENT COMPLEX ON GARLAND DRIVE. HE IS ACCUSED OF THE FOUR ARMED ROBBERIES THAT TOOK PLACE IN DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE CITY STARTING ON FEBRUARY SIXTEENTH. A THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLAR BOND WAS SET FOR ONE OF THE ROBBERIES AND BOND HAD NOT BEEN SET YET FOR THE OTHER THREE.
