SLIGHT DECREASE IN NUMBERS - The current number of Louisiana coronavirus cases is 139,125 | there are 4,431 related fatalities | 1,204 hospitalizations and 103,512 recoveries. Louisiana has been called a “Red Zone” state for the recent surge in Covid-19. But during his scheduled update yesterday, Governor John Bel Edwards had some good news to share.
"Ths statewide percent (Covid-19) positivity has dropped below 10% to 9.4%, " Edwards explained. "And in fact that's below that 10% threshold."
Louisiana is still considered a “Red Zone State" for having a high rate of Covid-19 infections that exceeds 100 per 100,000 population. According to John Hopkins University, Louisiana has the highest rate of COVID-19 cases followed by Florida and Arizona.
LA JOBLESS BENEFITS - Gov. John Bel Edwards also said the state expects to receive federal funds by the end of this week to start paying the enhanced federal unemployment benefits which were possible through President Donald Trump’s recent Executive Order which Governor Edwards did acknowledge.
"We really do appreciate the president making this available however, we continue to urge congress to get together, the House of Representatives and the Senate and to pass a bill that the president will sign that will be a permanent fix that will take us through the end of the year as it relates to enhanced unemployment benefits," Edwards said.
About 417,000 people in Louisiana are expected to be eligible for the federal aid. In other news related to the pandemic, attorneys for a group of southeast Louisiana bar owners appealed the ruling of a federal judge who refused to block Edwards' order closing their bars for failure to follow his Phase 2 Reopening Mitigation Measures.
