4-17-20
THE LOUISIANA GOVERNOR IS MAKING PREPARATIONS FOR A PHASED REOPENING OF THE ECONOMY INCLUDING APPOINTING AN EIGHTEEN MEMBER ECONOMIC PANEL. GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS SAYS HE WILL LISTEN TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE PANEL AS WELL AS HEATH OFFICIALS TO HELP DECIDE WHEN AND HOW TO BEST REOPEN BUSINESSES. EDWARDS SAYS, THOUGH THE CORONAVIRUS CURVE IN THE STATE IS FLATTENING, THE STATE WON’T BE AMONG THE FIRST STATES TO REOPEN. HOWEVER, HE SAYS IT IS POSSIBLE THE STATE WILL MEET VARIOUS THRESHOLDS RECOMMENDED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR REOPENING BY MAY FIRST.
LAFAYETTE MAYOR PRESIDENT JOSH GUILLORY ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY HE’S ALLOWING MORE BUSINESSES TO REOPEN. THOSE WOULD BE BUSINESSES THAT ARE NOT CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL BUT ARE NOT SPECIFICALLY PROHIBITED FROM OPENING BY THE GOVERNOR’S EXECUTIVE ORDER. THOSE INCLUDE SMALL RETAIL SHOPS, CLOTHING STORES, BRIDAL SHOPS, FURNITURE STORES AND JEWELRY STORES. THEY ARE ALLOWED TO OPEN UNDER A SAFE SHOP POLICY WHERE THEY MUST LIMIT THE NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS, EMPLOYEES WEAR MASKS AND SOCIAL DISTANCING IS STILL PRACTICED.
THE NUMBER OF CORONAVIRUS CASES IN LOUISIANA INCREASED BY FIVE HUNDRED EIGHTY-ONE TO A TOTAL OF TWENTY-TWO-THOUSAND-FIVE-THIRTY-TWO. THAT’S AN INCREASE OF TWO-POINT-SIX PERCENT. THERE WERE FIFTY-THREE MORE DEATHS IN LOUISIANA BRINGING THE TOTAL TO ONE THOUSAND FIFTY-SIX. THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS HOSPITALIZED IS CONTINUING TO DROP AND NOW THERE ARE FEWER THAN FOUR HUNDRED PATIENTS ON VENTILATORS.
THE NUMBER OF CASES OF CORONAVIRUS IN ACADIANA INCREASED, ONCE AGAIN, BY THIRTY-THREE. THAT WAS THE SAME AMOUNT OF NEW CASES AS YESTERDAY. THE TOTAL IS NOW ONE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-NINE. THERE WERE FIVE MORE DEATHS IN ACADIANA. THAT INCLUDED FOUR IN ST. MARY PARISH, WHICH DOUBLED THEIR TOTAL TO EIGHT. ST. LANDRY PARISH HAD ONE MORE DEATH AND NOW HAS THE MOST OF ANY ACADIANA PARISH AT SEVENTEEN. ACADIA PARISH ALSO ADDED ONE DEATH FOR A TOTAL OF SIX. THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ADJUSTED DOWN THE TOTAL DEATHS IN IBERIA FROM SIX TO FIVE.
THERE ARE TWENTY-FIVE NEW CASES OF CORONAVIRUS IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA. THE TOTAL IS NOW FOUR HUNDRED SIXTY-ONE. CALCASIEU PARISH HAS REACHED THREE HUNDRED TOTAL CASES. THERE WERE THREE ADDITIONAL DEATHS, ONE EACH IN JEFF DAVIS, ALLEN AND BEAUREGARD PARISHES. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS IN SOUTHWEST LOUSIANA STANDS AT THIRTY-ONE.
THE CURFEW IN ACADIA PARISH HAS BEEN IN EFFECT SINCE APRIL SECOND, BUT THE SHERIFF AND LOCAL POLICE CHIEFS HAVE DECIDED THEY WILL BE LIFTING IT. GERALD GRUENIG HAS MORE.
VOICER R :18
THE AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA IS STRUGGLING BECAUSE OF THE COVID NINETEEN PANDEMIC, ESPECIALLY THE CRAWFISH INDUSTRY. WILLIE DANOS, A CRAWFISH AND CATTLE FARMER, TELLS KPLC TV THAT PRICES ALWAYS DROP AFTER GOOD FRIDAY, BUT HE DIDN’T EXPECT THEM TO FALL LIKE THIS. PEOPLE AREN’T HAVING LARGE SOCIAL GATHERINGS AND WITH MANY RESTAURANTS CLOSING, THEY ARE HAVING TROUBLE MOVING CRAWFISH. DANOS SAYS CATTLE PRICES HAVE ALSO DROPPED BECAUSE THERE ARE TOO MANY CATTLE COMING OFF THE FEED FOR THE DEMAND.
NEW IBERIA POLICE ARRESTED TWO MEN AFTER A BUSINESS ON LANDRY STREET WAS ROBBED IN THE OVERNIGHT HOURS YESTERDAY. CAPTAIN JOHN BABIN SAYS OFFICERS SPOTTED A PERSON ENTERING THE BUSINESS AND THEN A CAR DRIVING AWAY. WHEN THEY PULLED OVER THE VEHICLE THEY FOUND STOLEN ITEMS AND THE DRIVER, 57-YEAR-OLD JOEY FARMER, HAD CRYSTAL METH ON HIM. THE PERSON WHO ENTERED THE BUSINESS, WAS THIRTY-NINE-YEAR-OLD ROBERT TUCKER. FOLLOWING THEIR ARREST, POLICE EXECUTED A SEARCH WARRANT AT A RESIDENCE IN THE FORTY-TWO-HUNDRED BLOCK OF ROMERO ROAD AND FOUND MORE STOLEN ITEMS.
