The Louisiana Workforce Commission reports employment rose in September to October by 29,000 jobs. Brooke Thorington has more
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Distributing the Pfizer COVID vaccine requires several steps to keep the two-dosage vaccine viable. Brooke Thorington tells us how Ochsner Health has prepped. 352
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Yesterday Governor Edwards announced all nursing home residents and healthcare workers in Louisiana will be vaccinated by mid-January. Matt Doyle has the story.
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The Louisiana Workforce Commission says the state added over 29,000 jobs from September to October. LWC Secretary Ava Dejoie says those numbers are in large part due to the Hurricanes.
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We ended October at 1,883,000 total jobs. That’s down 112,000 jobs from the same time last year.
Dejoie says they’ve seen growth in the Baton Rouge and New Orleans regions.
As for the future job growth, Dejoie says it’s all dependent on if residents continue to mask up and socially distance.
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As shipments for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine arrive in the US medical facilities like Ochsner are prepping to store the vaccine which requires ultra-cold storage at minus 80 degrees. Debbie Simonson System Vice President of Pharmacy at Ochsner says they’ve purchased three thermo-freezers.
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Simonson says Pfizer has developed cold shippers to keep the vaccine viable during delivery and Ochsner will initially receive vaccines in New Orleans and then distribute….
Simonson says they will schedule inoculations once they arrive. She says the vaccine can be refrigerated for up to five days and each vial contains five doses.
Simonson says they’ve worked on logistics as to how to keep the vaccine as viable as possible so they will all be utilized properly. Once the vaccine receives FDA approval Ochsner plans to begin inoculations immediately.
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COVID vaccines are set to be deployed across the state within the next two weeks, with all Louisiana healthcare workers and nursing home residents expected to be vaccinated by mid-January.
An estimated 20 million Americans will be vaccinated this year. Governor Edwards says we will receive 40,000 doses of the vaccine in the first week after it is approved.
The Pfizer vaccine is set to be reviewed for approval on December 10th with approval likely a few days later. Moderna’s vaccine will follow about a week after that. Louisiana is approved to receive 1.46 percent of each wave of vaccines manufactured due to our population size.
Edwards says both incoming vaccines will require you to get a booster shot less than a month after your first dose, and that booster shot must be from the same company as your first shot.
US Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Admiral Brett Giroir explained why a second shot will be necessary.
Giroir testified to just how effective these vaccines are, and noted that both are effective across all age ranges.
The Admiral warned there will be some controversy and debate about who the second wave of recipients will be in early 2021. He says they don’t have that answer just yet.
The people who would be in the hospitals are thought to be those already in the high-risk category for the disease such as the obese and those with breathing or heart conditions.
Edwards says the vaccine won’t be available to the general public until May or June and until then we’re still living under a pandemic that is trending in the wrong direction.
The White House Coronavirus Task Force report puts Louisiana in the Red Zone for new cases, along with the 38th highest positivity rate in the nation. It notes since last week’s report our cases have decreased and positivity has stabilized.
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After not playing in November because of four games that were either postponed or canceled due to COVID-19 related issues, Louisiana Tech will take on North Texas tonight in Denton. The Bulldogs are 4-and-3, while the Mean Green are three and four. Tech Coach Skip Holtz says North Texas likes to play pressure defense
This will be La Tech’s first game in 33 days. Holtz says it’s a lot like playing a season opener again…
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After playing in 24 games last season as a rookie, Zion Williamson expects to be more comfortable in his second season. Williamson says he enters year two feeling great both mentally and physically…
Williamson says he doesn’t want any minute or playing restrictions.
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LSU face number one ranked Alabama on Saturday in Baton Rouge. Coach Ed Orgeron says it will be a good test for his freshmen quarterbacks TJ Finley and Max Johnson…
Tiger Stadium is considered a tough place to play for opponents, but Alabama head coach Nick Saban believes his players are ready for the challenge.