8-5-20
Gov. John Bel Edwards says he’ll continue Louisiana’s statewide mask mandate and the business restrictions he enacted to combat the coronavirus outbreak for at least three more weeks. The rules were set to expire Friday, but the Democratic governor said Tuesday he’ll extend them through Aug. 28. Several lawsuits are trying to get some of the rules thrown out as overstepping Edwards’ authority. The governor’s decision comes as Edwards joined the leaders of Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio and Virginia in announcing an interstate compact to buy 3 million rapid-use coronavirus tests.
THE NUMBER OF NEW COVID-NINETEEN CASES TOOK A MAJOR JUMP IN LOUISIANA YESTERDAY WITH THREE THOUSAND, SIX HUNDRED FIFTEEN. HOWEVER, NEARLY HALF OF THE TOTAL IS BACKLOG CASES GOING BACK TO LATE MAY. THE TOTAL HAS SURPASSED ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FOUR THOUSAND. THERE WERE TWENTY-SEVEN ADDITIONAL DEATHS IN THE STATE, PUSHING THE TOTAL TO THREE THOUSAND, NINE HUNDRED THIRTY-SEVEN. HOSPITALIZATIONS CONTINUE TO DECREASE GRADUALLY. THEY ARE DOWN BY NINE TODAY. BUT THERE AN ADDITIONAL TEN PATIENTS WHO HAVE BEEN PUT ON VENTILATORS.
NEARLY THREE-QUARTERS OF THE BACKLOG CASES CAME FROM ACADIANA AS THE REGION SAW AN INCREASE OF ONE THOUSAND, SEVEN HUNDRED FOURTEEN NEW COVID-NINETEEN CASES. ONLY THREE HUNDRED NINETY-EIGHT ARE CONSIDERED NEW. THE OVERALL TOTAL FOR THE REGION HAS SURPASSED TWENTY-THOUSAND. THERE ARE SIX MORE DEATHS IN ACADIANA, INCLUDING THREE IN ST. LANDRY PARISH, TWO EACH IN LAFAYETTE AND VERMILLION PARISHES, AND ONE IN IBERIA PARISH. THE TOTAL IS FOUR HUNDRED TWENTY.
THERE ARE TWO MORE DEATHS IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA, BOTH IN ALLEN PARISH. THE TOTAL IS ONE HUNDRED NINETY-THREE. THE REGION HAS ONE HUNDRED FORTY NEW CASES, NEARLY HALF OF THEM IN CALCASIEU PARISH. THE TOTAL IS NINE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED FORTY-TWO.
THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS DECIDED TO DELAY THE START OF SCHOOL TO THE TUESDAY AFTER LABOR DAY, SEPTEMBER EIGHTH. TEACHERS AND STAFF WILL STILL REPORT TO SCHOOL TODAY TO RECEIVE ADDITIONAL DETAILS AND FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING. THE ACADIA PARISH SCHOOL BOARD IS ALSO CONSIDERING DELAYING THE START OF SCHOOL. THEY HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING PLANNED FOR TOMORROW AFTERNOON AT FIVE TO CONSIDER STARTING AFTER LABOR DAY.
TWO JUDGES IN LAFAYETTE HAVE DISQUALIFIED SUSPENDED CITY MARSHAL BRIAN POPE FROM RUNNING FOR REELECTION. THE RULINGS, WHICH CAME IN BACK TO BACK HEARINGS YESTERDAY MORNING, MEANS THAT IF POPE FAILS TO WITHDRAW WITHIN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS, THE JUDGEMENTS WILL BE DEFINITIVE AND HE WILL BE DISQUALIFIED. POPE’S ATTORNEY, BRETT GRAYSON, SAYS THAT THEY HAVEN’T DECIDED YET IF THEY WILL APPEAL. THE SUSPENSION WAS HANDED DOWN IN OCTOBER OF TWENTY-EIGHTEEN, WHEN HE WAS CONVICTED ON SEVERAL COUNTS OF MALFEASANCE IN OFFICE.
A DEPUTY WITH THE JEFF DAVIS PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE HAS DIED FROM COVID NINETEEN-RELATED COMPLICATIONS. SIXTY-THREE-YEAR-OLD CLAUDE WINSTON GUILLORY SPENT MORE THAN THIRTY YEARS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, MOST OF IT WITH THE JENNINGS POLICE DEPARTMENT. HE RETIRED FROM THERE AS CAPTAIN IN 2015, THEN SPENT TIME WITH THE LAKE ARTHUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE COUSHATTA TRIBAL POLICE BEFORE BECOMING A JEFF DAVIS PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPUTY LAST YEAR. LAST WEEK, A CHURCH POINT POLICE OFFICER ALSO DIED FROM COVID-NINETEEN COMPLICATIONS.
A COALITION OF GROUPS INCLUDING GAY RIGHTS GROUP WILL PRESENT A PETITION WITH MORE THAN TWELVE THOUSAND SIGNATURES TO THE DIOCESE OF LAFAYETTE TOMORROW AFTERNOON SEEKING THE OUSTER OF A CATHOLIC PRIEST FROM HIS CHURCH IN ERATH. THEY ARE UPSET WITH THE REVEREND ANDRE METREJEAN OVER A FACEBOOK POST, LATER TAKEN DOWN, IN WHICH HE CRITICIZED THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS FOR THE ORGANIZATION’S PUBLIC SUPPORT OF GAY PRIDE MONTH. THE INITIAL PETITION WAS STARTED BY A FORMER PARISHONER AT OUR LADY OF LOURDES CATHOLIC CHURCH IN ERATH, AND SHE WAS JOINED BY OTHER LOUISIANA CATHOLICS AS WELL AS THE LAFAYETTE CHAPTER OF PARENTS, FAMILIES AND FRIENDS OF LESBIANS AND GAYS. SUPPORTERS OF METREJEAN HAVE LAUNCHED THEIR OWN PETITION IN WHICH THEY HAVE GATHERED MORE THAN FIVE THOUSAND SIGNATURES.
