Louisiana crossed a grim COVID-19 milestone today, we now have had more than 4,000 confirmed deaths from the disease. The state also reported 1,300 new cases today continuing our slow but steady downward trend. Governor Edwards says that’s encouraging but we can’t start slacking.
1,457 people are hospitalized with COVID, and the positivity rate for today was 6.6 percent.
NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center bumps up the number of expected storms for the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook, now calling for up to 19 to 25 named storms with 7 to 11 becoming hurricanes. Lead hurricane forecaster Dr. Gerry Bell says the development of La Nina conditions also factors into being more hospitable for hurricane formation and intensification.
Cut 4 (10)_ “…stronger Atlantic storms.”
A Baton Rouge judge sides with Governor John Bel Edwards over business owners who filed suit in an attempt to lift coronavirus restrictions including the mask mandate, bar closures, and crowd size limitations. Assistant Health Secretary Dr. Alex Billioux says the venues just aren’t safe because the main purpose of going to a bar is drinking alcohol which decreases vigilance in spread mitigation efforts.
Cut 8 (09) “…you’re not drinking.”
A 25 member task force aimed at studying policing policy reform met today for the first time since being formed by the Legislature in response to the George Floyd protests. Baton Rouge Senator Cleo Fields was named chairman and the members come from a range of backgrounds, including civil rights activists, lawmakers, and law enforcement.
Fields authored the resolution that formed the task force and was nominated for the chairmanship by representatives of the law enforcement community.