At his press conference this afternoon Governor John Bel Edwards issued an indoor mask advisory for everyone regardless of vaccination status and also outdoors if you are unable to socially distance. This as Louisiana has the highest growth rate of COVID cases per capita in the nation. Today an additional 3,100 cases were reported and more than a thousand are now hospitalized.

With only 36-percent of the state fully vaccinated for COVID, health officials warn of the growing risks for unvaccinated individuals, especially with the highly contagious Delta variant. LSU Health Shreveport Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. John Vanchiere says if you are sick, the most important thing besides staying home is to get tested.

Cut 8 (12) “…approaches.”

Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins announces a city-wide masking advisory as Delta variant COVID cases surge statewide. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 1 (30) “ …I’m Matt Doyle.” 

National Retail Federation spokesperson Katherine Cullen says they’re expecting back to school shoppers to spend about 850 dollars on average, 60 dollars more than last year. It also appears families are returning to brick and mortar, but some online shopping is still popular.

Cut 14 (09) “…2020″ 

Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins announces a city-wide masking advisory as Delta variant COVID cases surge statewide. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 1 (30) “ …I’m Matt Doyle.” 

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Saints star wide receiver Michael Thomas will likely miss the start of the season after undergoing ankle surgery in June. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (31)…I’m Jeff Palermo”  

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Shreveport joins New Orleans in issuing an indoor mask advisory due to the Delta-fueled surge in COVID cases.

Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins says the return to masking is what is needed to hold back the tide of new Delta cases.

Cut 3 (12) “…lives” 

The state has seen a dramatic increase in cases and COVID-related hospitalizations since the start of the month. Since July 1^st Louisiana has added 654 new COVID-related hospitalizations erasing five months of progress in three weeks.

Perkins says he made this decision after consulting with healthcare experts.

Cut 4 (11) “..community”

Roughly 30 percent of northwest Louisiana is vaccinated according to KSLA TV.

Perkins says returning to masking will save lives and save the economy.

Cut 5 (07) “…shutdown.”

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With only 36-percent of the state fully vaccinated for COVID, health officials warn of the growing risks for unvaccinated individuals, especially with the highly contagious Delta variant. LSU Health Shreveport Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. John Vanchiere says the low vaccination rate equates to only one in three being fully immunized.

Cut 6 (10) “….pandemic.”

Vanchiere says the Delta variant is responsible for eighty percent of the current cases and the variant is fifty percent more transmissible than the Alpha variant which was fifty percent more contagious than the original. The fourth surge has also sparked the Mayors of New Orleans and Shreveport to issue indoor mask advisories.

Cut 7 (11) “…get vaccinated”

On a positive note, Vanchiere says in the Shreveport area they are vaccinating two and a half times as many people this week compared to a month ago and many are receiving their first dose. He says if you are sick, the most important thing besides staying home is to get tested.

Cut 8 (12) “…approaches.”

For a list of vaccination and testing sites visit LDH-dot-LA-dot-gov forward slash Coronavirus.

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The N-F-L Network reports Saints star receiver Michael Thomas will miss the start of the regular season after undergoing surgery in June to repair ligaments in his injured ankle. Saints analyst Mike Detillier says Thomas has not been able to fully recover after injuring his ankle in the 2020 season opener

Cut 9 (09) “…the surgery”

Recovery from the surgery is an estimated four months, which means Thomas will likely miss several games. Detillier says Thomas’ absence will make it difficult for both Taysom Hill and Jameis Winston who are trying to replace Drew Brees as the starting quarterback…

Cut 10 (11) “..wide receiver”

Reports say the Saints are looking for a veteran wide receiver to sign, but the options are limited with training camp set to start next week. Detillier says the Saints are thin at wide receiver after losing Emmanuel Sanders in free agency…

Cut  11 (14) “…number one guy.” 

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The National Retail Federation projects record back-to-school spending this year as students head back to class for fall.

NRF spokesperson Katherine Cullen says they’re expecting K-12 shoppers to spend about 850 dollars on average, 60 dollars more than last year.

Cut 12 (05) “…dollars”

College students and their families are expected to spend about 1,200 dollars on average for the upcoming semester. That could result in 71 billion in total spending, up 2.3 billion from last year.

Cullen says back-to-school shoppers are expected to spend about 254 dollars on average on clothes.

Cut 13 (09) “…enviroment”

Shoppers are also expected to spend about 300 dollars on average on electronics.

Cullen says after a slump last year it appears that families are returning to brick and mortar, but some online shopping is still popular.

Cut 14 (09) “…2020″ 

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Governor Edwards issues new statewide COVID public health recommendations due to the rapidly spiraling Delta surge.

Edwards says we’ve seen an explosion in new cases and hospitalizations since the start of the month. Because of this…

Cut 15 (09) “…maintained” 

Businesses have also been called to review policies to limit COVID exposure and spread.

There are also new policy recommendations for exposure situations…

Cut 16 (09) “…19” 

Louisiana surpassed one-thousand COVID hospitalizations today as the state health department reported another 95 individuals were admitted into hospitals statewide with COVID-related symptoms. L-D-H also reported that total cases increased by 31-hundred and eleven more people have died.

Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins issued a mask advisory for his city today. Matt Doyle has more…
cut 1 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

The Saints will reportedly not have star wide receiver Michael Thomas for the start of the season, because he’s recovering from ankle surgery last month. The NFL Network’s Ian Rappoport reports recovery from the surgery is an estimated four months, which means Thomas will likely miss several games. Saints analyst Mike Detillier says Thomas’ absence will make it difficult on quarterbacks Taysom Hill and Jameis Winston…
cut 10 (11) “…wide receiver”

The National Retail Federation is predicting record back-to-school shopping for this year. The N-R-F says families with children in elementary through high school plan to spend on average 849-dollars, 59 dollars more than last year. N-R-F spokesperson Katherine Cullen says about 254-dollars of that will be on clothes….
cut 13 (09) “…environment”
Shoppers are also expected to spend about 300 dollars on average on electronics.

The state reports more than three thousand new COVID cases today and current hospitalizations have exceeded a thousand. Governor John Bel Edwards will hold a 3 pm press conference today along with health officials to address the ongoing fourth surge of cases.

The fourth surge has sparked the Mayors of New Orleans and Shreveport to issue indoor mask advisories. LSU Health Shreveport Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. John Vanchiere says the Delta variant is responsible for eighty percent of the current cases and the variant is fifty percent more transmissible than the Alpha variant which was fifty percent more contagious than the original.

Cut 7 (11) “…get vaccinated”

For a list of vaccination and testing sites visit LDH-dot-LA-dot-gov forward slash Coronavirus.

Shreveport joins New Orleans in issuing an indoor mask advisory due to the Delta-fueled surge in COVID cases. Roughly 30 percent of northwest Louisiana is vaccinated according to KSLA TV. Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins says returning to masking will save lives and save the economy.

Cut 5 (07) “…shutdown.”

Perkins says he made this decision after consulting with healthcare experts.

The N-F-L Network reports Saints star receiver Michael Thomas will miss the start of the regular season after undergoing surgery in June to repair ligaments in his injured ankle. Saints analyst Mike Detillier says Thomas has not been able to fully recover after injuring his ankle in the 2020 season opener

Cut 9 (09) “…the surgery”

Recovery from the surgery is an estimated four months

Louisiana sees another 3,100 COVID cases reported today and the number of COVID related hospitalizations continues to explode, now just over 1,000, an increase of 95 from yesterday. With this new Delta-fueled surge in full swing and health experts calling for a return to masking Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins says his city is joining New Orleans in issuing a mask advisory…

Cut 4 (11) “..community”

Delta is tearing through the state in large part due to our one of the lowest in the nation vaccination rates. only 36-percent of the state fully vaccinated. LSU Health Shreveport Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. John Vanchiere says with only a third of the state fully vaccinated…

Cut 6 (10) “….pandemic.”

Vanchiere says the Delta variant is responsible for eighty percent of the current cases.

Bad news Saints fans, star receiver Mike Thomas will miss the start of the season after undergoing ankle surgery. Recovery from the surgery is an estimated four months, which means Thomas will likely miss several games. Saints analyst Mike Detillier says to make matters even worse the Black and Gold are awful thin at receiver after losing Emmanuel Sanders in free agency…

Cut  11 (14) “…number one guy.” 

Reports are the Saints are seeking veteran help to fill the gap. 

Shreveport joins New Orleans in issuing an indoor mask advisory due to the Delta-fueled surge in COVID cases. Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins says the return to masking is what is needed to hold back the tide of new Delta cases.

Cut 3, 12 seconds, lives

The state has seen a dramatic increase in cases and COVID-related hospitalizations since the start of the month. Since July 1^st Louisiana has added 654 new COVID-related hospitalizations erasing five months of progress in three weeks.

Because of this new surge Ochsner Health CEO Warner Thomas says the state’s largest hospital system is moving to mandatory vaccination for staff…

Cut 10 (12) “…the FDA.” 

In a statement, Louisiana Republican Party Chairman Louis Gervich threatened that there will be consequences for the failure to override any of the Governor’s vetoes. Gervich threatened recalls and suggested there be electoral challenges against Republicans who broke rank. LSU Shreveport Political Science Professor Jeffery Sadow…

Cut 13 (05) “…2023.”

Three Republican Senators changed their regular session support for “constitutional carry” legislation and one didn’t show up for the vote. On the transgender athlete bill one Republican House member joined with Democrats in voting against the veto override.

Louisiana will receive 325 million dollars over about two decades from a nationwide settlement with opioid manufacturers. Attorney General Jeff Landry says while the funds are appreciated…

Cut 8 (07) “…crisis.”

Governor John Bel Edwards will hold a press conference at 3 PM to discuss the state’s response to a fourth COVID surge. The Louisiana Health Department reports COVID hospitalizations have increased by 671 from June 19th to 913. Ochsner Health CEO Warner Thomas says 97-percent of their admissions with COVID are unvaccinated individuals…

Cut 11 (06) “…population.”
And because of the surge in cases according to the personal finance website WalletHub, Louisiana is the least safe state in the country. WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzales says this is due to Louisiana’s poor performance in five key areas.

Cut 4 (13) “…most of them.”

A statement from Louisiana Republican Party Chairman Louis Gurvich says there will be consequences for the failure to override any of the Governor’s vetoes.  Among the threats is action against Speaker Clay Schexnayder if he doesn’t immediately replace all Democratic House Committee chairs. LSU Shreveport Political Science Professor Jeffrey Sadow says that may sound extreme, but…

Cut 14 (10) “…unusual.”

A 36-billion-dollar settlement with opioid distributors and manufacturers will direct 325 million dollars to Louisiana over the next 18 years to help address the impacts of the opioid epidemic. An Attorney General Jeff Landry-backed plan to fund an expansion in drug courts with the funds was vetoed by the Governor. Landry says they’re now looking to work with local governments one on one…

Cut 9 (08) “…addicted.”

There are over 900 people in Louisiana hospitals being treated for COVID-related symptoms. The state health department says that’s a 350-percent increase in three weeks. Ochsner Health CEO Warner Thomas says as COVID hospitalizations increase, it’s weighing on staff as their hospitals continue to stay open to treat non-COVID patients…
cut 12 (06) “…surge”

The personal finance website Wallethub ranks Louisiana as the least safe state during COVID-19. Analyst Jill Gonzales points to the state’s low vaccination rate, only 36-percent of Louisiana’s population is fully vaccinated…
cut 5 (08) “…death rate”
The state reported 15 more COVID deaths yesterday, bringing the death toll to 10,889.

The State Republican Party is threatening repercussions for GOP lawmakers who broke rank during the veto session. Matt Doyle has more.
Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle.”

Following the conclusion of the two-day veto session, Governor Edwards described the conversations he had with lawmakers who were on the fence on whether they should override his vetoes on the transgender sports ban bill and the permitless conceal carry legislation…
cut 23 (09) “….promises”

The American Hospital Association is calling for all hospital staff to be vaccinated as COVID cases surge again. And the state’s largest hospital system, says they plan to follow the recommendation of the American Hospital Association. Ochsner Health CEO Warner Thomas….
Cut 10 (12) “…the FDA.”

Louisiana Republican Party Chairman Louis Gurvich believes there should be some consequences after the state legislature failed to override any of the governor’s 28 vetoes from the 2021 session. Gurvich believes all of the Democratic House committee chairs should be replaced and Kenner Representative Joe Stagni should be recalled. LSU Shreveport Political Science Professor Jeffrey Sadow…
cut 15 (07) “….Democrats”

Louisiana will receive about 325 million dollars over the next two decades as part of a nationwide settlement with opioid manufacturers and distributors…
Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle.”

The Joint Legislative Budget Committee has approved a new naming rights deal for the Superdome. Starting in August, the iconic stadium will be called the Caesars Superdome as part of a 20-year naming rights deal that’s worth an estimated 138-million dollars. That money will go to the Saints, who say the dollars will be used on Dome improvements.

Governor John Bel Edwards will hold a press conference at 3 PM to discuss the state’s response to a fourth COVID surge. The Louisiana Health Department reports COVID hospitalizations have increased by 671 from June 19th to 913. Ochsner Health CEO Warner Thomas says 97-percent of their admissions with COVID are unvaccinated individuals…
cut 11 (06) “….population”
36-percent of the state’s population is fully vaccinated. Jill Gonzales with the personal-finance website WalletHub says the state’s low vaccination rate is impacting the economy…
cut 6 (08) “…in person”
The governor said in a radio interview yesterday that the state is heading in the wrong direction in a hurry when it comes to COVID.

Louisiana Republican Party Chairman Louis Gurvich says the failure to override any of the governor’s vetoes must have consequences. Gurvich threatened recalls and suggested there be electoral challenges against Republicans who broke rank. LSU Shreveport Political Science Professor Jeffery Sadow…
Cut 13 (05) “…2023.”
Three Republican Senators changed their regular session support for “constitutional carry” legislation and one didn’t show up for the vote. On the transgender sports ban, Kenner Representative Joe Stagni joined Democrats in voting against the veto override.

Attorney General Jeff Landry says Louisiana will receive 325-million dollars to help treat opioid patients as the result of a 26-billion dollar agreement with the nation’s three major pharmaceutical distributors and another company that manufactured and marketed opioids. Landry says the agreement resolves investigations and litigations, but not before thousands have lost their lives during the opioid epidemic…
cut 8 (07) “….crisis”