© 2024 Red River Radio
Voice of the Community
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Gov. Edwards "La. Has More Covid-19 Cases Than Ever"

Courtesy: Chuck Smith / Red River Radio News

LA. COVID-19 INCREASES - Governor John Bel Edwards held a Covid-19 update  yesterday afternoon for for Louisiana  as the state’s  coronavirus cases topped 70,000  Wednesday. 

"We've had three weeks now of going in the wrong direction with respect to the numbers that we're seeing on cases and hospitalizations," Edwards said.

Edwards  said most of the infections can be attributed  to Community Spread and  also  among  younger people.

"Case growth continues to reflect that a majority of cases are now young people," Edwards explained. "And in fact 35 to 40 % over the last several days have been  individuals below the age of 39 I believe it is."

Credit Courtesy: LPB
/
Courtesy: LPB
Governor John Bel Edwards giving an update on Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in Louisiana 07.08.20.

The state reported 1,888 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday for a total of 70,151.  Some slight good news is --hospitalizations dropped for the first time since June 27;  it  fell by three to 1,022, while the number of patients on ventilators also decreased by four to 105.  Twenty more  people died  however  as Louisiana's death toll rose to 3,231.   

Edwards also announced  Louisiana’s schools and colleges will be shielded from most civil lawsuits  if a student or teacher catches the COVID-19 disease.  Edwards  signed  the new liability limitations  into  law  which was  passed  by lawmakers during the special session. The protections cover public and private K-12 schools; charter schools; and public and private colleges and universities. The new law is retroactive to March 11th .

Chuck Smith brings more than 30 years' broadcast and media experience to Red River Radio. He began his career as a radio news reporter and transitioned to television journalism and newsmagazine production. Chuck studied mass communications at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia and motion picture / television production at the University of California at Los Angeles. He has also taught writing for television at York Technical College in Rock Hill, South Carolina and video / film production at Centenary College of Louisiana, Shreveport.