LA COVID-19 UPDATE - Louisiana reached a somber milestone Tuesday as its corona virus death toll passed more than 1,000. During his COVID-19 Update yesterday afternoon --Gov. John Bel Edwards revealed the parishes with the most deaths reported for Tuesday.
"The top three parishes for today's deaths are Orleans with 32, Jefferson with 24, Caddo with 17," Edwards said. "I hope the gravity of this resonates with everyone."
Edwards expressed concerns that too many people are disobeying his stay-home order and putting Louisiana at risk for a new spike in coronavirus infections. During the update, the head of Louisiana’s Department of Corrections Joe LeBlanc explained the state will consider temporary furloughs of up to 1,200 inmates. The move is a bid to lessen the virus’s potential spread among inmates and corrections staff within the close confines of prison facilities.
"We have created the Covid-19 furlough review panel to evaluate certain non-violent, non-sex offenders for suitability ," LeBlanc said.
LeBlanc said the move follows the same federal guidelines set by the Department of Justice U.S. Attorney General William Barr. Conditions of the release would require the furloughed inmates to wear an ankle monitor and remain under house incarceration; any inmate who violates the terms of the release would have the furlough cancelled.
