Could a coronavirus vaccine be ready this fall? Senator Bill Cassidy says after talking with one drug company, he thinks so. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”
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New Orleans Police disperse a protest crowd near the Crescent City Connection bridge last night with tear gas. Matt Doyle has the story.
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Senator Bill Cassidy believes a coronavirus vaccination will be ready by October. Cassidy says he spoke with one of the companies working on a vaccine and is confident one of them could be available by November
Cut 3 (09) “…than anybody thought.”
Cassidy says if studies indicate the product is effective and it receives the green light from regulators, there will be an ample supply ready.
Cassidy says if the product is not effective, he feels confident that other manufacturers will find a solution.
Cut 5 (08) …Hepatitis B vaccine.”
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New Orleans Police fired tear gas at George Floyd protestors last night after some of the people in the crowd allegedly began planning to assault a line of officers. NOPD Superintendent Shaun Ferguson says social media videos back up their claim that some elements were organizing an effort to break through police lines and get onto the Crescent City Connection bridge.
Ferguson also disputed claims that officers fired pellets or other projectiles into the crowd.
Ferguson says after rolling one tear gas canister and firing another from a launcher the crowd began dispersing.
Protestors had set up on the interstate near the bridge connecting the East and West Bank of New Orleans.
Ferguson says he is disappointed last night’s protest turned violent. He says up until then New Orleans demonstrations had been a model.
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Cristobal has been downgraded to a tropical depression as the system has moved into southern Mexico. But State Climatologist Barry Keim says the National Hurricane still predicts Cristobal will move back into the Gulf of Mexico tomorrow night and then it will head towards Louisiana’s coast
A flash flood watch is in effect for all of southeast Louisiana until Tuesday morning. Keim says the forecast calls for up to ten inches of rain in the watch area…
There are no flood watches posted for southwest Louisiana. Keim says that’s because the National Hurricane Center believes the center of the storm will likely come ashore near the New Iberia-Morgan City area and the heaviest rain will be to the east of the center…
Cut 11 (09) “…across Louisiana”
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The state reported 429 new coronavirus cases today to bring Louisiana’s total 41,562. The Bayou State has been reporting around 400 cases every day this month. Assistant health secretary Doctor Alex Billioux says we continue to see hundreds of new cases every day because of an increase in testing…
On Thursday, Louisiana recorded nine-thousand new tests and nearly five percent came back positive.
Billioux says seeing more cases is not enough for them to be concerned that the spread of the disease is getting out of hand
The state is reporting 613 people are hospitalized. That’s a decline of 134 since May 25th.