Testing will soon begin on the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine sulfate tablets in combatting COVID-19. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
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Governor Edwards applauds the President’s decision to extend the federal social distancing reccomendations until April 30th. Matt Doyle has more.
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Some state lawmakers will reconvene today to try and set a new date to get back into session. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
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Food stamp recipients who are not currently receiving the maximum total possible on their SNAP cards will now start receiving the max.
Department of Children and Family Services Secretary Marketa Garner Walters says only 37 percent of recipients currently receive the maximum.
The max for a single individual recipient is $194 a month.
The Department is also waiving redeterminations, interviews, and the work requirements for SNAP. Walters says if you have SNAP, you don’t have to worry about losing it right now.
Walters says if you’re interested in applying for food stamps, know the call center capacity is limited right now and your best bet is visiting DCFS.LA.GOV/GetSnap, or text get SNAP to 898-211.
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Testing will soon begin in Louisiana on whether hydroxychloroquine can be used to treat COVID-19 patients or if it can be used as a preventive measure for healthcare workers on the frontline. Dean of LSU Health Sciences School of Medicine Dr. Steve Nelson says the drug has been shown in a test tube to kill coronavirus, but there has only been a small number of clinical trials.
Nelson says the biggest hurdle has been getting their hands on the drug for testing, but with a donation of 400-thousand hydroxychloroquine sulfate tables from a pharmaceutical company, they expect trials to begin later this week. Nelson adds in terms of defining the drug’s effectiveness, a reasonable number of patients, between 500 and 1,000, need to be studied.
Nelson says the drug is safe and for the vast majority of people it is very well tolerated so there is very little risk, if any, associated with taking this drug.
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President Trump announces the extension of federal social distancing recommendations through April 30th as the US becomes the world’s leader in total COVID-19 cases.
Governor Edwards says the declaration is helpful because it sends a message that we are nowhere near over the hump.
Locally Louisiana remains number 3 in total cases and number two in total deaths per capita.
Governor Edwards warns the state’s trajectory of cases still puts them on track to run out of ventilators in the New Orleans area by April 5th. He says the state will ultimately need 14,000 more ventilators.
The Governor’s office says the President committed to sending 150 ventilators, but they’re not sure when they will arrive.
Edwards reiterated his calls for social distancing, but one church in Central refuses to comply having hosted over a thousand people Sunday night. Edwards says he won’t be breaking up those services.
Reportedly residents from five different parishes were bused in for Sunday service at Life Tabernacle Pentecostal Church in Central.
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Some state lawmakers will reconvene today to try and set a new date to get back into session. The 2020 session came to a halt three weeks ago over coronavirus concerns. Senate President Page Cortez says he’s got no definitive date in mind but says Senate committee meeting may actually still take place before the session returns.
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House Speaker Clay Schexnayder says today’s business will not require a full house since they are not voting on any bills adding that although they may be exceeding a congregation of 50 people, they will be practicing social distancing.
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Both Cortez and Schexnayder remain optimistic that a special session could be avoided, but that decision hinges on the rapidly changing COVID-19 outbreak.
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The F-B-I wiretap that reportedly has LSU basketball coach Will Wade discussing a strong offer made to a recruit is expected to be aired tonight on an H-B-O Documentary titled “The Scheme.” Wade missed the NCAA Tournament because of the FBI wiretap scandal but was reinstated in May. LSU beat reporter for the USA Today Network Glen Guilbeau spoke to one of the writers of the documentary
Christian Dawkins was the man at the center of the FBI’s investigation into college basketball corruption. Dawkins has been convicted for helping to funnel thousands of dollars between college basketball programs and recruits. So far Wade and LSU have avoided an NCAA investigation, but Guilbeau says that could change after tonight’s documentary airs…