Nursing shortages are exacerbating the impact of the Delta surge. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle.”

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So, what would it take to convince you to get a COVID vaccine if you haven’t already? Would a 100-bucks do it? Brooke Thorington has more

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

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As more places are beginning to ask for proof of vaccination, Louisiana is one of the few states where is can be as easy as pulling out your phone. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 3 (30)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

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Hospitals and other health care facilities are facing a shortage of nurses, a problem that’s really hitting home as Delta surge tears through the state.

Louisiana State Nurses Association President Ecoee (E-Coy) Rooney says the shortage isn’t surprising, but the timing couldn’t be worse.

Cut 4 (09) “..retiring.”

Rooney says beyond the lack of nurses the pandemic has also created a major financial incentive for nurses at regional hospitals to take travel assignments.

Cut 5 (09) “…hospitals”

In a strange twist Rooney says many of those nurses taking travel assignments end up back at their original hospital doing the same work for a lot more money.

Rooney says the lack of nurses has led to some patients receiving poorer quality care than they would have received should the facility be fully staffed.

Cut 6 (11) “…gap.”

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If you’re on the fence about getting vaccinated, the City of Shreveport is offering 100-bucks to entice you to roll up your sleeve. Mayor Adrian Perkins says they will hold a vaccination event at two community centers Saturday and the first 250 at each location can pad their wallets.

Cut 7 (11) “…vaccinated.”

Funding for the vaccine incentive is part of the American Rescue Act. Perkins says due to the low vaccination rate in Region Seven which includes Shreveport and Northwest Louisiana he wanted to persuade individuals to prioritize their health.

Cut 8 (07) “…much higher.” 

So far Perkins says there’s been lots of interest in the event since they announced the $100 incentive, and he thinks other cities in the Bayou State will follow their lead.

Cut 9 (08) “…this weekend.”

The Pfizer vaccine will be administered by LSU Health Shreveport Saturday from 10 am until 2 pm at AB Palmer Community Center and David Raines Community Center. The second dose will be given on August 28^th. You must be 12 and older and those under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

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Louisiana’s COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force is hoping to boost vaccination rates by combating vaccine hesitancy in the Black community.

Tulane School of Public Health Dean Dr. Thomas LaVeist says a major driver of hesitancy amongst Blacks is the long, documented history of medical racism in the US.

Cut 10 (10) “…Americans.”

One of the most commonly cited examples of historic racism against Blacks by the American health care system is the Tuskegee Experiment in 1932. During that experiment Blacks were enrolled by the U.S. Public Health Service in a syphilis study, but were not informed they had syphilis only that they had “bad blood”. Instead of being given treatment, they were instead given placebos, blocked from receiving care elsewhere, and had their painful physical deterioration studied and documented.

LaVeist says most hesitant Blacks aren’t anti-vax, they just have unanswered questions. One of the most common concerns is potential long-term impacts, which can be addressed.

Cut 11 (13) “…by now.”

LaVeist says another common concern is related to misinformation that the vaccine creation process was rushed. He attributed that in part to Operation Warp Speed’s success in quickly manufacturing a safe and effective vaccine, but the program’s failure to educate the public in how it was done.

LaVeist says to persuade more African Americans to take the shot leaders will have to acknowledge the roots of this skepticism and explain why, in spite of those concerns, getting vaccinated is still a good idea.

Cut 12 (10) “…distrust.” 

The percentage of Blacks in the state who are vaccinated sits in the mid-30s per LDH data, nearly identical to the percentage among whites.

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If you’re asked to show proof of your vaccination status instead of carrying around your vaccine card you can just pull out your phone and use LA Wallet. Since the feature was launched in the spring, LA Wallet Project Manager Sara Kelley says they’ve seen quite the increase in users opting in for vaccine status.

Cut 13 (09) “…in the system.”

Kelley said when an LA Wallet user opts in to add their vaccination status it pulls data from the LINKS system with the department of health. It must match the name, birth date, and zip code on your driver’s license.

Cut 14 (07) “…logo.”

If for some reason you’re not able to pull up a digital version of your vaccine status on LA Wallet Kelley says to contact your physicians or visit a parish health department. She says any healthcare provider that has access to the LINKS system can assist.

Cut 15 (06)“…for you.”

Louisiana is the first state in the country to provide residents digital access to their vaccination status. Users must opt-in on the smartphone app for access.

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Louisiana native Peyton Manning will be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Sunday. Manning threw for nearly 72-thousand yards and 539 touchdowns during his NFL career and won two Super Bowls, one with the Colts and one with the Broncos….
Cut 16 (15) “…I am.”

Manning’s ability to dissect opposing defenses and quick decision-making helped him transform the quarterback position. He turned the Colts into a winning franchise and helped Denver win its third Super Bowl in franchise history. The New Orleans native says he had a lot of support during his Hall of Fame career…
Cut 17 (15) “…with them.” 

Saints Hall of Famer Archie Manning will present his son Peyton during Sunday’s induction ceremonies. Archie is a proud father and has spent time reflecting on Peyton’s journey…

Cut  18 (19)”…great players.”

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Fresh off a ten-win season, the Ragin Cajuns return to the practice field today for the start of preseason camp. U-L Lafayette returns 20 starters including quarterback Levi Lewis. Coach Billy Napier says they’ll use this time as an opportunity to improve the starters and the backups…

Cut 19 (19)  “…observe.” 

The Cajuns return a number of starters on defense, including safety Bralen Trahan, who intercepted a team-high four passes last season. The former Acadiana Wreckin Ram on how he can become a better player

Cut 20 (15)  “…this fall.” 

LSU students won’t have to vaccinate to attend in person classes. LSU Board Chairman Robert Dampf says they determined that because the vaccines are under emergency use authorization they cannot, as a public university under current law, mandate it. Even if they could, there’s still a loophole…

Cut 7 (09) “…reasons” 

Students who are not vaccinated will have to submit to monthly COVID tests.

Moderna joins Pfizer in asking permission to give third “booster” shots to already vaccinated individuals, a move the World Health Organization calls selfish in the face of vaccine shortages in developing nations. Tulane School of Public Health Epidemiologist Dr. Susan Hassig says there’s really not enough data to support boosters yet anyway, so if you’re vaccinated and want more protection…

Cut 14 (08) “…mask”

LSU QB Myles Brennan’s dad Owen confirms that a tragic fishing trip mishap is what resulted in his son’s broken arm. That mishap has potentially robbed Brennan of his final year at LSU, leaving Max Johnson to take over the lead role. Owen says Max’s dad Brad was one of the first calls he received about Myles.

Cut  11 (11) “…dad to dad.”  

Even with the statewide mask mandate back in effect, Ochsner Health CEO Warner Thomas says he doesn’t see hospitalizations letting up anytime soon. Thomas says it’s still too early to tell but, in the past, their symptom tracking system, which communicates with COVID patients recovering at home, has shown mask usage curbs case numbers.

Cut 4 (11) “…that yet.” 

Ochsner Health CEO Warner Thomas says according to a tracking system they use for non-hospitalized patients he doesn’t see COVID case numbers letting up anytime soon. The system allows them to stay in contact with COVID patients who are recovering at home to see if their symptoms worsen and need to be admitted.

Cut 3 (08) “…escalate.” 

LSU will not begin the fall semester with a vaccine mandate for in-person attendance, much to the chagrin of the LSU Faculty Senate. However, LSU Board Chairman Robert Dampf says if he had unilateral authority he would institute a campus vaccine mandate, but the best the school can legally do is require monthly COVID testing for unvaccinated students.

Cut 8 (07) “…vaccine”

Dampf made the comments on Talk Louisiana with Jim Engster.

The father of injured LSU quarterback Myles Brennan sheds light on his injury and his recovery. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (30)…I’m Jeff Palermo”  

In a memo to season ticket holders, LSU says they continue to consult with campus and state health officials, and at this time, there are no plans to implement restrictions that could impact the game day experience. The school says they are preparing for a normal season inside Tiger Stadium. LSU’s home opener is September 11th versus McNeese.

The state reported 54-hundred new COVID cases today and for the third day in a row recording-breaking hospitalizations at 2,350. 33 new fatalities from the virus were also reported.  On a positive note, now more than 2-million have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

LSU Board Chairman Robert Dampf says the school is legally prohibited from mandating students take the COVID vaccine. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “ …I’m Matt Doyle” 

Ochsner Health CEO Warner Thomas says according to a tracking system they use for non-hospitalized patients he doesn’t see COVID case numbers letting up anytime soon. The system allows them to stay in contact with COVID patients who are recovering at home to see if their symptoms worsen and need to be admitted.

Cut 3 (08) “…escalate.” 

Moderna has joined Pfizer in pushing for the FDA and CDC to back giving fully vaccinated individuals a third booster shot, in an effort to fight the Delta variant. Tulane School of Public Health Epidemiologist Dr. Susan Hassig says the vaccines have proven to be highly effective at significantly reducing the chance of a severe infection…

Cut 13 (11) “.vaccine”

Moderna has joined Pfizer in pushing for the FDA and CDC to back giving fully vaccinated individuals a third booster shot, in an effort to fight the Delta variant.

Moderna’s President says they have data indicating people should take a half does shot six to eight months after completing their full vaccine series.

But Tulane School of Public Health Epidemiologist Dr. Susan Hassig says there’s not enough evidence to back the request yet and the vaccines appear to be working as expected.

Cut 12 (11) “…things” 

The state continues to set new all-time highs for COVID-related hospitalizations. 2,350 COVID patients now occupy Louisiana medical beds, up from roughly 250 at the start of July.

LSU will not enter the fall semester with a vaccine mandate for in-person attendance, instead opting to test unvaccinated students monthly. This has drawn the chagrin of the LSU Senate Faculty but LSU Board Chairman Robert Dampf says a mandate is not legal under state laws because COVID vaccines are still under emergency use authorization.

Cut 6 (11) “..mandate.”

Many LSU faculty members have fiercely criticized the policy, saying monthly testing is nearly equivalent to no testing at all given Delta’s incubation period.

The statewide mask mandate is back in effect but in many regions of Louisiana you wouldn’t be able to tell. Director of Infection Control and Prevention at Ochsner Doctor Katherine Baumgarten…

Cut 5 (12) “…happen now.”

Even with the statewide mask mandate back in effect, Ochsner Health CEO Warner Thomas says he doesn’t see hospitalizations letting up anytime soon. Thomas says it’s still too early to tell but, in the past, their symptom tracking system, which communicates with COVID patients recovering at home, has shown mask usage curbs case numbers.

Cut 4 (11) “…that yet.” 

LSU will not begin the school year a vaccine mandate for in-person attendance for students, much to the chagrin of the LSU Faculty Senate. LSU Board Chairman Robert Dampf says right now legally the school can’t mandate the vaccine and says once the vaccine is given full authorization calling for a student mandate, well there’s still a legal loophole.

Cut 7 (09) “…reasons” 

The father of injured LSU quarterback Myles Brennan sheds light on his injury and his recovery. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (30)…I’m Jeff Palermo”  

In a memo to season ticket holders, LSU says they continue to consult with campus and state health officials, and at this time, there are no plans to implement restrictions that could impact the game day experience. The school says they are preparing for a normal season inside Tiger Stadium. LSU’s home opener is September 11th versus McNeese.

The state reports another record-breaking high of COVID hospitalizations for the state at 2,350 an increase of 103 from Wednesday. This is the third day in a row hospitalizations have broken previous highs. On a positive note, at least two million individuals in the state have received at least one vaccine dose.

LSU Board Chairman Robert Dampf says the school is legally prohibited from mandating students take the COVID vaccine. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “ …I’m Matt Doyle” 

Ochsner Health CEO Warner Thomas says according to a tracking system they use for non-hospitalized patients he doesn’t see COVID case numbers letting up anytime soon. The system allows them to stay in contact with their COVID-positive patients who are recovering at home to see if their symptoms worsen, and they need to be admitted.

Cut 3 (08) “…escalate.” 

In the last week, Ochsner says their COVID hospitalizations increased by 73-percent.

Tiger fans learned this week of Myles Brennan’s arm injury which required surgery on his non-throwing arm Wednesday. Before Brennan was in the mix to be starting quarterback but Myles’ father Owen Brennan says even though the timeline for his son’s return is unknown, the plan now is to start rehab ASAP.

Cut 10 (10) “…two weeks.”

LSU’s first game is against UCLA September 4^th.

So how has the coronavirus pandemic impacted learning in the classroom? State education officials say the number of public school students scoring Mastery or above on the LEAP exams saw a decrease of five percentage points from 2019 to 2021. The decrease was seen across all grade levels.

With students and teachers set to return to the classroom, there’s a heightened sense of concern as the delta variant is impacting more children.
Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

LSU will not have a vaccine mandate for the fall semester. LSU Board of Supervisors Chairman Robert Dampf says a mandate is not legal under state laws that govern public universities. That’s primarily because COVID vaccines are still under emergency use authorization.
Cut 6 (11) “..mandate.”
Dampf was a guest today on Talk Louisiana with Jim Engster.

LSU quarterback Myles Brennan is recovering after undergoing surgery to repair his broken non-throwing arm. His father, Owen Brennan, told WWL radio his son suffered the injury while preparing for a fishing trip in Grand Isle…
cut 9 (12) “…humerous bone”
Brennan says his son plans on competing for the starting Q-B job when he’s cleared to play.

The Ochsner Health System confirmed reports more children are being hospitalized with COVID-19, even if the overall number is still relatively low. System Chair of Pediatrics Dr. William Lennarz says there has been a clear rise in COVID cases among children due to the Delta variant. He cited percent positivity among those 18 and younger…

Cut 13 (09) “…24 percent.”

With students set to return to school, along with faculty and staff, face their third pandemic impacted school year. President of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers Larry Carter says as cases increase among children due to the Delta variant there’s a heightened level of concern.

Cut 5 (11) “…those parents.”

The FDA is expected to give full approval next month to the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for adults.  Tulane School of Medicine Epidemiologist Dr. Susan Hassig says the FDA is also reviewing the lengthy package insert that will accompany the vaccine, which she says is very important for how companies could dictate their vaccine policies.

Cut 8 (11) “…to happen.” 

The Louisiana Lottery brought in a record-breaking 625 million dollars in revenue for the fiscal year that ended in July. Lotto spokesperson Kim Chopin says scratch-offs, in particular, saw a massive surge in interest, up nearly 70 million dollars in sales from last year.

Cut 10 (09) “…history.”

Ochsner Hospital for Children says they are seeing an increase in kids testing positive for COVID. System Chair of Pediatrics Doctor William Lennarz says most children suffer from mild symptoms of the Delta variant, but they are also treating seriously ill children…
cut 14 (11) “….week or so”
Lennarz says if he was a parent of a 12 to 18-year-old, he would run not walk to the closest vaccine station.

The FDA is aiming to give final approval of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for adults by Labor Day weekend. The shot currently has Emergency Use Authorization. Tulane School of Medicine Epidemiologist Dr. Susan Hassig says the agency is reviewing storage, dosing, and distribution data.
Cut 7 (09) “…full authorization.”
Full authorization could lead to more vaccine mandates.

Louisiana Lottery sets a sales record for the last fiscal year. Matt Doyle on what this means for public education
Cut 3 (29) “…I’m Matt Doyle.”

Senator John Kennedy authored an amendment to the infrastructure bill that would provide one-point-one billion dollars in disaster relief to Louisianians who suffered damage from Hurricanes Laura, Delta, and Zeta. But according to his office, the Senate has blocked that effort. An aide to Senator Bill Cassidy told the Advocate that disaster relief could not be included in the infrastructure bill due to congressional procedure.