The state health department reports a child under the age of one has died from COVID-19. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (31)…I’m Jeff Palermo.” 

Physician in Chief at Children’s Hospital New Orleans Dr. Mark Kline says Pfizer will likely ask for vaccine approval for kids five and older in October…

Cut 7 (07) “…age group.”  

President of the Louisiana Restaurant Association Stan Harris says 62 percent of state restaurants that applied for Restaurant Revitalization Fund grants did not receive any money. Harris says this federal failure has many owners strongly considering closing up shop…

Cut 5 (07) “…my bills.”

Harris says originally restaurants asked Congress for $120 billion but only received $28.6-billion. Louisiana requested a billion of that but only 393 million ultimately was handed out.

A tropical disturbance in the south-central Caribbean has an 80 percent chance of developing over the next five days. The system is expected to move towards the Yucatan peninsula and enter the Gulf of Mexico Saturday night. The models are all over the place right now, showing landfall anywhere from Louisiana to the Texas/Mexico border sometime Monday or Tuesday.  

Full FDA authorization was given to Pfizer’s vaccine for those 16 and older, and those still 12 and up and get the shot under the EUA but it looks like kids under 12 won’t be eligible for several months. Physician in Chief at Children’s Hospital New Orleans Dr. Mark Kline says clinical trials in children are ongoing.

Cut 6 (09) “…October.” 

Two Caddo Parish high schoolers were arrested for threatening school shootings yesterday, both of them caught before anything could happen due to their social media posts. One student posted a direct threat on Snapchat while another took a picture of him brining a loaded gun to campus on Instragram. Caddo Parish Sheriffs Spokesperson Cindy Chadwick says one of those social media companies was the one to tip-off authorities.

Cut  11 (10) “…investigate”  …

President of the Louisiana Restaurant Association says a majority of those eligible to receive assistance from the Restaurant Revitalization Fund did not. Brooke Thorington has more

Cut 1 (30) “ …I’m Matt Doyle.” 

The state continues to register a very slow decline in COVID-related hospitalizations today. We’re down 12 from Tuesday and six percent week to week, but still far above any point set before the 4^th wave began in July. 110 new COVID deaths were also reported today, making that two days in a row over 100.  

The state reports 6,619 new COVID-19 cases today and 2,844 hospitalizations. Among those hospitalized 91-percent are unvaccinated. The state also added 110 more COVID fatalities today. Yesterday the state reported the highest-ever single-day number of fatalities with 139.

Caddo Parish Sheriffs made arrests yesterday in two separate incidents where students threatened school shootings on social media. Spokesperson Cindy Chadwick says one of those arrested was 18-year-old Raybon Marter who threatened to do a school shooting at Southwood High School on Snapchat and in an unrelated event, a 15-year-old posted a picture of himself putting a gun in his backpack then a photo of himself walking to the Woodlawn Leadership Academy campus.

Cut 10 (13) “…magazine”

The 15-year old was arrested for having a gun on campus and terrorizing.

40-percent of the state’s population is fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. That ranks 44th in the nation. LSU Infectious Disease Specialist Doctor Catherine O’Neal hopes full FDA approval for the Pfizer vaccine will generate more trust for those who are hesitant to get the shot…
cut 12 (07) “…works”

President of the Louisiana Restaurant Association Stan Harris says the industry is still struggling and eateries in the state failed to receive their fair share of funding from the 28.6 billion of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. Harris says in the Bayou State there are almost 3,000 restaurants, bars, craft brewers, and entertainment venues still in need.

Cut 4 (10) “…business alive” 

Harris says 62-percent of applicants didn’t receive any funding.

Caddo Parish Sheriffs made arrests yesterday in two separate incidents where students made school shooting threats. Sheriff’s spokesperson Cindy Chadwick says one of those arrested was 18-year-old Raybon Marter of who threatened to do a school shooting at Southwood High School on Snapchat.

Cut 9, 11 seconds, arrested

In another, unrelated event, a 15-year-old was found with a loaded gun at Woodlawn Leadership Academy after an Instagram post.

President of the Louisiana Restaurant Association Stan Harris says the industry is still struggling and eateries in the state failed to receive their fair share of funding from the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.

Cut 3 (11) “…get funded.” 

Now that the FDA has given full approval to the Pfizer COVID vaccine LSU students will have to be vaccinated or tested for COVID.

Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

The AP has obtained police body camera footage of a 2019 incident in Monroe where a Black man was severely beaten by a State Trooper with a flashlight. The disturbing footage shows the officer screaming expletives at Aaron Bowman, beating Bowman with the flashlight as the man pleaded that he was not resisting.

One COVID vaccine shot or a negative COVID test 72 hours prior to entry will be needed in order to attend an LSU football game this season. Monroe Republican State Senator Stewart Cathey calls the protocol an overreach with no historical precedent…

Cut 14 (09) “…sporting event.”

Now that the FDA has given full approval to the Pfizer COVID vaccine, as promised LSU President William Tate says students will be required to be vaccinated or they will undergo regular COVID testing. Tate says he hopes the vaccination requirement for students and Tiger fans will cause a shortage of vaccinations.

Cut 6 (12) “…and Baton Rouge.”

According to LDH, five to 17 are reporting the highest percentage of COVID positive cases in the state for the week of August 12^th to the 18^th. And Ochsner Health Hospital Quality Director Dr. Sandra Kemmerly says as of Tuesday they’ve had 35 patients for the month of August and while Ochsner does not have any children in the hospital on ventilators, they have in the past.

Cut 8 (08) “…ventilators.” 

40 percent of the state’s entire population is now fully vaccinated but for rural regions, that number is still hovering in the low 30s, with numbers in the mid-20s in small rural parishes. LSU Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Catherine O’Neal who grew up in a small town herself says it can take a long time for mainstream messages to reach smaller communities.

Cut 10 (11) “…working on.” 

Now that the FDA has given full approval to the Pfizer COVID vaccine, LSU President William Tate says students will be required to be vaccinated or they will undergo regular COVID testing. Students have until September 10th to submit proof of their first vaccination and October 15th for their second vaccination….
cut 4 (08) “…semester”

Monroe Republican State Senator Stewart Cathey blasts LSU’s decision to require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to enter Tiger Stadium this fall. Cathey says the policy is inconvenient for fans.
Cut 13 (08) “…stuff for the fans.”
LSU athletic director Scott Woodward says the vaccine mandate is to ensure the fans’ experience in Tiger Stadium is safe.

40-percent of the state’s population is fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. That ranks 44th in the nation. LSU Infectious Disease Specialist Doctor Catherine O’Neal hopes full FDA approval for the Pfizer vaccine will generate more trust for those who are hesitant to get the shot…
cut 12 (07) “…works”
Louisiana is reporting 2,856 COVID patients in the hospital. Ochsner Health Hospital Quality Director Doctor Sandra Kemmerly says they are also seeing more pediatric patients…
cut 7 (09) “….the hospital”
Doctor Mark Kline, Physician-in-Chief and Children’s Hospital New Orleans expects emergency use authorization for kids to receive the vaccine before the end of the year.

Rural regions lag far behind suburban and urban areas in the overall vaccination rate. Matt Doyle spoke with LSU Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Catherine O’Neal about the disparity…
Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Matt Doyle.”

It’s time to start watching the tropics, there’s a low-pressure system in the Caribbean that has the chance to develop into a tropical storm once it crosses the Yucatan Peninsula gets into the western Gulf of Mexico on Sunday.

LSU is giving its students until October 15th to get fully vaccinated. System President Doctor William Tate says Louisiana law allows for students to opt-out of vaccinations and those who choose this route will be required to be tested for COVID on a regular basis…
cut 5 (06) “…protocol”
Proof of vaccination or a recent COVID test will also be required to enter Tiger Stadium to watch football games this season. Monroe Republican State Senator Stewart Cathey says the policy is premature and he believes by the time of the home opener on September 11th the COVID situation in Louisiana will be much better…
cut 15 (08) “….are now”
LSU season ticket holders have until Friday to request a refund.

Ochsner Health says they’ve admitted 34 pediatric patients 19 and under for COVID-19 during August. Eight of those patients are under the age of ten. Ochsner Chief Medical Officer Doctor Robert Hart says as school-age children return to the classroom, hospitals are worried they could see even more pediatric patients…
cut 9 (09) “….with COVID”

Health officials are also working to boost vaccination numbers in rural areas. In southwest Louisiana, 29-percent of the population is vaccinated, in central Louisiana the number is 31-percent. LSU Infectious Disease Specialist Doctor Catherine O’ Neal says many rural communities are disconnected from mainstream messages…
cut 11 (08) “….hesitant”

Now that the FDA has given full approval to the Pfizer COVID vaccine LSU students will have to be vaccinated or tested regularly for COVID…
Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

Ochsner is mandating COVID vaccines for all of its 32-thousand employees. Currently, 66-percent of their workers are fully vaccinated. Also, the state health department reported 139 COVID deaths yesterday. That’s the most deaths reported in a single day since April 14, 2020.