Governor Edwards’ statewide mask mandate is now in effect.  The new order comes following the state reporting some of the highest new daily case counts of the pandemic.  Edwards says the timing of when mask-wearing is required is clear.

Cut 3 (05)  “…distant from others..”  

The order comes with a few exemptions from wearing a mask, including people with certain medical conditions.

Opponents of the Governor’s statewide mask mandate say Governor Edwards should not have the authority to make decisions like this by himself. Oil City Representative Danny McCormick is a signee of a Legislative effort to suspend the Governor’s public health emergency declaration. He says Edwards’ order is an attack on liberty.

Cut 6 (10) “…rights”

State Education Superintendent Cade Brumley tells the House Education Committee that reopening schools next month during a pandemic will be a monumental task, but they’ve provided local school systems with guidance on how it can be done. Schools have been closed to in-classroom instruction since Governor Edwards shut down campuses last March. Brumley admits the long time away from the classroom has produced some level of learning loss

Cut 11 (11) “…and math.”

The Lake Charles region has fewer than two dozen ICU beds available as the area has been slammed by rising COVID-19 cases. Lake Charles, Jefferson Davis, and Cameron Parish all have a COVID incident rate of over 240 per 100,000, some of the highest in the state. Region Five Regional Public Health Medical Director Lacey Cavanaugh says that’s causing hospitalizations to pile up.

Cut 13 (09) “…closely.” 

How will the state enforce its new mask mandate? Kevin Barnhart has the details…

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”  

Some Republican legislators are frustrated with the declaration. Oil City Representative Danny McCormick says Governor Edwards did not consult with them about the decision and is not responsive to lawmakers concerns about his unilateral decision-making process when it comes to the pandemic.

Cut 8 (08) “…Governor”

State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley laid out the thought process for returning to school next month. He says one positive coronavirus case will not shut down a school, but several cases could lead to a temporary closure

Cut 10 (07) “   through this” 

Brumley also says they are also recommending face masks for students in grades three through 12. BESE is meeting tomorrow to discuss whether that is going to be a mandate or just a recommendation for districts.

The Lake Charles region has fewer than two dozen ICU beds available as the area has been slammed by rising COVID-19 cases. Region Five Regional Public Health Medical Director Lacey Cavanaugh says 67 of their 89 ICU beds are in use…

Cut 12 (11) “…shortages.”

State Education Superintendent Cade Brumley provides the House Education Committee with the guidelines on reopening schools safely. Jeff Palermo has more…
Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”  
The state reports just over 1700 new COVID-19 cases, bring the total to just shy of 80,000. The presumed recovered number updated every Monday is now at 46,334. Hospitalizations increase to 1,308. Fatalities increase by 7 to a statewide total of 3,315.

Governor Edwards’ statewide mask mandate is now in effect.  The new order comes following the state reporting some of the highest new daily case counts of the pandemic.  Face coverings are required both indoors and outdoors when physical distancing is not possible. The order comes with a few exemptions, including people with certain medical conditions. Edwards says he knows that the mask mandate will be controversial, but adds he believes the people Louisiana will be resilient.
Cut 5 (12)  “…me, criticize me.”

Opponents of the Governor’s statewide mask mandate say Governor Edwards should not have the authority to make decisions like this by himself. Oil City Representative Danny McCormick is a signee of a Legislative effort to suspend the Governor’s public health emergency declaration. McCormick says the Governor should not have the authority to make such an important decision unilaterally.
Cut 7 (08) “people.”

The state reports just over 1700 new COVID-19 cases, bring the total to just shy of 80,000. The presumed recovered number updated every Monday is now at 46,334. Current hospitalizations increase to 1,308. Fatalities increase by 7 to a statewide total of 3,315.

Governor Edwards’ statewide mask mandate is now in effect.  The new order comes following the state reporting some of the highest new daily case counts of the pandemic.  Face coverings are required both indoors and outdoors when physical distancing is not possible. The order comes with a few exemptions, including people with certain medical conditions. Edwards says he is relying on businesses to help with encouraging individuals to mask up.
Cut 4 (07)_ “…they are trespassing.”
As the number of coronavirus cases continues to grow, is herd immunity a possible answer? Matt Doyle reports the state health department says no…
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle” 

Governor Edwards’ statewide mask mandate is now in effect.  The new order comes following the state reporting some of the highest new daily case counts of the pandemic.  Edwards says the timing of when mask-wearing is required is clear.

Cut 3 (05)  “…distant from others..”  

Only three parishes are exempt from the mandate due to the per capita infection rate, but mask-wearing is still very much encouraged.  Grant, Red River, and West Feliciana parishes have fewer than 100 cases per 100,000 people.

Opponents of the Governor’s statewide mask mandate say Governor Edwards should not have the authority to make decisions like this by himself. Oil City Representative Danny McCormick is a signee of a Legislative effort to suspend the Governor’s public health emergency declaration. He says Edwards’ order is an attack on liberty.

Cut 6 (10) “…rights”

State Education Superintendent Cade Brumley tells the House Education Committee that reopening schools next month during a pandemic will be a monumental task, but they’ve provided local school systems with guidance on how it can be done. Brumley says it all starts with good hygiene

Cut 9 (10) “…possible”

Brumley says they are also recommending that students in grades three through 12 wear face masks.

And young adults are still the primary driver of this recent explosion in cases, with Louisiana nearing 80,000 total confirmed positive tests since the start of the pandemic. Assistant State Health Officer, Doctor Joe Kanter, says those young adults are catching the virus and passing it along to older residents who are then getting very, very sick.

Cut 12 (07)      increase in deaths” 

The state is reporting over 33-hundred deaths.

A local judge has issued a temporary restraining order against Shreveport’s mask mandate. Matt Doyle asked a legal expert if cities have the legal authority to issue these mandates…

Cut 1 (28) “…I’m Matt Doyle”  

Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to meet with Governor Edwards in Baton Rouge on Tuesday to discuss the efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19. From there, the VP will meet with higher ed leaders at Tiger Stadium regarding the return to campus and college sports.

….And Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sanky said today that the concern about the feasibility of playing football is “high to very high”

Voting for Louisiana’s Presidential Primary is today. There are also local races in 24 parishes and party committee positions. Polls are open until 8 PM.

It will be a hot weekend as heat index values will reach 110, maybe even 115 degrees. State Climatologist Barry Keim says a high-pressure system in the northern Gulf of Mexico will limit cloudiness and thunderstorms

Cut 3 (11)  “…lots of humidity”  

This stretch of hot weather will continue into early next week.

The coronavirus pandemic may have put a dent into many sectors of the economy, but the Louisiana Lottery says they’ve just finished their second-best fiscal year ever that ended on June 30th.  Lottery spokesperson Kim Chopin says that’s in large part due to an uptick in scratch-off sales from April through June.

Cut 12 (05) “…in our history.”

The State Fire Marshal’s office has conducted around 3,100 coronavirus spread mitigation compliance checks between June 26 and July 5, yet there hasn’t been any penalization of the rule breakers.  State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says the lack of citations or shutdowns is a strong indicator that businesses care enough about their customers and employees to come into compliance.
Cut 10 (07) “…everything goes bad”
Browning says after a third check, if there are businesses that are blatantly defying the rules, that’s when further action will be taken, but says it has yet to come to that.
It will be a hot couple of days in the Bayou State as heat index values will reach 110, maybe even 115 degrees. State Climatologist Barry Keim says rain chances are low this weekend…

Cut 5 (10)  “…miss it”
A Caddo District Court judge has issued a temporary restraining order blocking the City’s implementation of a mandate requiring masks to be worn inside businesses. New Orleans, Jefferson Parish, and East Baton Rouge Parish have also issued similar mandates. Loyola Law Professor Dane Ciolino believes they do have the authority to do so.

Cut 6 (13) “…basis.”

If the mandate were to be implemented non-compliant businesses could potentially be shut down while the state remained in Phase Two.

The coronavirus pandemic may have put a dent into many sectors of the economy, but the Louisiana Lottery says they’ve just finished their second-best fiscal year ever that ended on June 30th.  Lottery spokesperson Kim Chopin says the ability to avoid interrupting player’s routines while other aspects of life were on hold contributed to captivating their audience.

Cut 14 (07) “…do for entertainment.”

Voting for Louisiana’s Presidential Primary is today. There are also local races in 24 parishes and party committee positions. It will be a hot one for casting your ballot as heat index values will reach 110, maybe even 115 degrees. State Climatologist Barry Keim says this stretch of hot weather will continue into early next week and it will be quite warm for outdoor activities in the morning…
Cut 4 (11)_ “    low 70s” 
A Caddo District Court judge has issued a temporary restraining order blocking the City’s implementation of a mandate requiring masks to be worn inside businesses. New Orleans, Jefferson Parish, and East Baton Rouge Parish have also issued similar mandates. Loyola Law Professor Dane Ciolino says mask mandate opponents will have a hard time arguing against the mandates in potential court proceedings.
Cut 8 (10) “…box”
If the mandate were to be implemented non-compliant businesses could potentially be shut down while the state remained in Phase Two.

The State Fire Marshal’s office has conducted around 3,100 coronavirus spread mitigation compliance checks between June 26 and July 5, yet there hasn’t been any penalization of the rule breakers.  State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says that’s because businesses are correcting shortcomings after the first visit.Browning says after a third check, if there are businesses that are blatantly defying the rules, that’s when further action will be taken, but says it has yet to come to that.

Cut 11 (07) “…exceeded our expectations.”

The coronavirus pandemic may have put a dent into many sectors of the economy, but the Louisiana Lottery says they’ve just finished their second-best fiscal year ever that ended on June 30th.  Lottery spokesperson Kim Chopin says that’s in large part due to an uptick in scratch-off sales from April through June.Many lottery retailers such as grocery and convenience stores were deemed essential and stayed open, which Chopin says was vital in maintaining player activity.

Cut 13 (08) “…have become inaccessible.” 

A local judge has issued a temporary restraining order against Shreveport’s mask mandate. Matt Doyle asked a legal expert if cities have the legal authority to issue these mandates…

Cut 1 (28) “…I’m Matt Doyle”  

Voting for Louisiana’s Presidential Primary is today. There are also local races in 24 parishes and party committee positions. Workers at the polling locations will regularly wipe down voting machines, hand sanitizer will be available and masks are recommended. If you are hoping to get your hands on the state’s famous “I Voted” stickers, you are out of luck this election as they won’t be given out because of COVID-19. Polls are open from 7 AM to 8 PM.

The State Fire Marshal’s office has conducted around 3,100 coronavirus spread mitigation compliance checks between June 26 and July 5, yet there hasn’t been any penalization of the rule-breakers.  State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says that’s because businesses are correcting shortcomings after the first visit.

Cut 9 (10) “…consider penalizing somebody.”

It will be a hot weekend as heat index values will reach 110, maybe even 115 degrees. State Climatologist Barry Keim says a high pressure system in the northern Gulf of Mexico will limit cloudiness and thunderstorms

Cut 3 (11)  “…lots of humidity”  

This stretch of hot weather will continue into early next week

A Caddo District Court judge has issued a temporary restraining order blocking Shreveport’s implementation of a mandate requiring masks to be worn inside businesses. Loyola Law Professor Dane Ciolino believes the city will have success in court because governments are afforded a lot of leeways when it comes to this kind of policy.

Cut 7 (09) “…health.”

The suit triggering the restraining order was filed on behalf of five Shreveport businesses, but one of those businesses announced on social media they were unaware of the suit, and had not agreed to participate in it.

Louisiana reported more than 26-hundred new COVID-19 cases today. That’s the most ever in a single day for the Bayou State that didn’t include backlog cases since the pandemic started. The state’s death toll is up to 3,272 and hospitalizations rose by 75.

The State Fire Marshal’s office has conducted around 3,100 coronavirus spread mitigation compliance checks between June 26 and July 5, yet there hasn’t been any penalization of the rule breakers.  State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says that’s because no businesses have so far been repeat offenders when reinspected after guidance is given on how they can come into compliance. Browning says the lack of citations or shutdowns is a strong indicator that businesses care enough about their customers and employees to come into compliance.

Cut 10 (07) “…everything goes bad”

Browning says after a third check, if there are businesses that are blatantly defying the rules, that’s when further action will be taken

It will be a hot weekend as heat index values will reach 110, maybe even 115 degrees. State Climatologist Barry Keim says on top of that rain chances are low this weekend…

Cut 5 (10)  “…miss it”