A request for a restraining order against the Governor’s statewide closure of bars has been rejected by federal judges. Jeff Palermo has the story.
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Ochsner Health has been selected to participate in Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine trial. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
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Federal judges in New Orleans and Lafayette have rejected requests from bar owners for a restraining order against the Governor’s bar closure order. Those owners are suing the state over the issue.
Loyola Law Professor Dane Ciolino says there’s a good legal reason why the requests were rejected.
The Governor’s order restricts bars from serving customers on-premise but does allow for customers to buy to-go drinks. To-go drinks have been banned in New Orleans.
The New Orleans case will be heard on the 14th and the Lafayette case will be heard on the 17th. Ciolino says this decision is a blow to those filing the suits.
Ciolino does not expect the plaintiffs to have much success going forward.
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The Saints begin strength and conditioning work today after none of their players tested positive for COVID-19 testing during extensive testing last week. Quarterback Drew Brees is ready to begin his 15th season with the Black and Gold…
During training camp, Saints players, coaches, team doctors, and other personnel will stay at the Loews Hotel in New Orleans to mitigate the risk of infection.
Brees says part of his preparation for the upcoming season included breaking the habit of licking his fingers, which he would do repeatedly throughout the game
Brees also says he’ll continue to stand for the national anthem to honor those who have served and died for our country. But he will respect the decision of his teammates who chose to kneel after saying in June that he would never approve of anyone who takes a knee during the anthem
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Brees faced a mountain of criticism for his kneeling during the anthem comments in June. He quickly apologized and the 41-year-old says he now understands the anthem protests were not about disrespecting the flag.
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Ochsner Health is one of 120 sites worldwide chosen to participate in phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine study with drugmaker Pfizer. Ochsner Principal Investigator Dr. Julia Garcia-Diaz says the selection comes as a result of its expertise and history in conducting clinical trials.
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All participants accepted into the study will be randomized to receive either the vaccine or a placebo in the form of two shots, with a 50/50 distribution between the two. Neither the patients nor the investigators will know what they have received.
Garcia-Diaz says another factor that brought the study to Louisiana is its status as a COVID-19 hotspot.
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Globally, the study aims to enroll up to 30,000 participants. Ochsner will enroll a limited number of randomized participants selected from an existing pool of candidates who have previously expressed interest in COVID-19 research.
Garcia-Diaz says an exact timeline is unclear, but don’t expect the vaccine to be available anytime soon.
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The State Fire Marshal’s Office found nearly 700 businesses were not in compliance with COVID spread mitigation measures in July. Fire Marshal Butch Browning says that only accounts for a small share of the businesses they visited.
The most common shortcomings included face mask violations, table spacing, large gatherings, exceeded capacities, and self-serve buffet dining.
Browning says the 10 percent mark is indicative of how seriously businesses are taking spread mitigation efforts when compared to standard safety checks.
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Browning says when they do find a violation, most of the businesses are willing to work with the state to correct it…
The Louisiana Department of Health has revoked the food permit for Firehouse BBQ in Livingston Parish as the Denham Springs restaurant reviews to enforce the state’s mask mandate. Firehouse BBQ posted on its Facebook page that remains open, despite the state’s effort to shut them down.