Governor John Bel Edwards says he will not make it mandatory to get a COVID vaccine nor will he provide financial incentives. Matt Doyle has the story.
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An AARP report from October to mid-November shows 476 new cases among nursing home staff in Louisiana and 17-percent have a PPE shortage. Jeff Palermo has the story…
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In the past two weeks, six people have died in fires in Louisiana, including the latest fatal fire which occurred in Lafayette Thursday night. While the causes remain undetermined, State Fire Marshal Spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue believes unsafe heating practices could be factors.
Last year 75 people in Louisiana died due to fires and another 70 lives have been claimed in 2020. Rodrigue says cooking and heating tips can help keep people safe.
Rodrigue says it’s important to have a working smoke alarm…
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Vaccine rollout is imminent and Governor John Bel Edwards is imploring residents to take it when available. A Pew poll shows 40 percent of Americans would refuse to take the vaccine if offered. Edwards says he hopes they change their mind but it won’t be mandatory in Louisiana, and…
The first wave of Pfizer vaccines are expected to be administered to frontline COVID-facing healthcare workers early next week. A vaccine by Moderna is expected to be approved in December as well and that will be given to nursing home residents and staff.
European reports indicate the vaccine has some side effects, but Edwards says he’s reviewed the data and there are vaccines people already take with side effects worse than this…
Those reports indicate the heaviest side effects for the Pfizer vaccine come after taking the booster shot 21 days after you are first vaccinated.
Edwards warns the vaccine won’t be available to the general public until sometime in spring and right now we’re facing a highly concerning spike in cases.
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State Trooper Jacob Brown of Rayville has been charged with one count of Aggravated Second Degree Battery and Malfeasance in Office for allegedly using excessive and unjustifiable force during an arrest of a black man in Ouachita Parish in May of 2019. Trooper Michael Reichhardt says a lawsuit filed by the victim in October started the investigation…
A law office in Monroe has identified the victim as Aaron Bowman. They claim Bowman was dragged to the ground and beaten senselessly during the arrest. Reichhardt says the 30-year-old Brown was assisting the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s office when he engaged in excessive force…
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Reichhardt says when the investigation determined that Brown did commit the violations, the trooper was promptly arrested.
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An AARP dashboard report indicates nursing homes in Louisiana face concerning trends. Data analyzed from October 19th to November 15th show an increase in staff cases and an ongoing shortage of staff and PPE. AARP State Director Denise Botcher says community spread is responsible for 476 new staff COVID cases.
The report indicates a staff shortage of 37-percent and 17-percent of long-term care facilities have less than a week supply of PPE on hand.
The report analyzed data before the Thanksgiving holiday among nursing homes. Botcher says an adequate supply of medical-grade PPE is vital and with only 17-percent of facilities reporting a one-week supply, she fears the worst.
Of the statewide death total from COVID, 40-percent of those fatalities are in nursing homes. Healthcare workers and nursing home residents are prioritized to receive vaccinations once authorized by the FDA. Botcher is encouraged but knows the vaccines will take time to show results.