COVID-19: Louisiana Reopens

Louisiana's Shot At A Million is a rewards program offered by the Louisiana Department of Health's Bring Back Louisiana campaign to increase awareness of COVID vaccine availability and provide reliable efficacy and safety information.

Fourteen vaccinated Louisianans will win scholarships and cash prizes – including one adult who will win $1 million – throughout July as part of the Shot At A Million campaign the state is launching to reward residents who have taken or who choose to get their COVID-19 vaccine, Gov. Edwards announced .

As part of an effort to Bring Back Louisiana Summer and encourage people to go Sleeves Up and get their COVID-19 shots, free admission to Louisiana state parks is being offered now for anyone who has been vaccinated, Gov. John Bel Edwards and Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser announced today. Vaccinated individuals can gain free entry into all of Louisiana’s 21 State Parks through July 31. This offer is available to all visitors from Louisiana and elsewhere who have been vaccinated, no matter when they got their shot. This offer does not extend to tour groups.

Following months of improvement in COVID-19 hospitalizations and with nearly three million vaccine doses administered, Gov. John Bel Edwards on Tuesday signed an updated public health emergency order that removes all remaining business capacity restrictions and the vast majority of masking requirements. This week, Louisiana hit its lowest level of COVID-19 hospitalizations since the very early days of the pandemic.

The FDA’s recent authorization of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in 12- to 15-year-olds and the CDC’s strong recommendation adds an essential tool to the proven strategies that have kept our children safe during the past school year. The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has been shown to be safe and provides a strong immune response against the virus, particularly in adolescents. Importantly, it has also been shown to substantially reduce the chance one might unknowingly pass the virus on to someone else. Thankfully, the most significant challenges of the 2020-21 school year are behind us now, and the availability of COVID-19 vaccines brings hope that the “normal” we all seek for our children and our families will come soon.

Gov. John Bel Edwards announced that based on the recommendations by the CDC and in consultation with the Louisiana Dept. of Health, those who are fully vaccinated no longer have to wear masks indoors except in certain situations including: educational facilities, public transit, correctional settings, and health care facilities as regulated by LDH. This is in addition to recent guidance that also eased restrictions on masks outdoors for those who are fully vaccinated. Businesses may decide whether to continue requiring patrons to wear masks and are not limited by the revised proclamation. Further, local governments will continue to be able to make decisions to have further restrictions, including face covering requirements, in place.

Louisianans ages 12 and up can now receive the COVID-19 vaccine, following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) action late Wednesday formally recommending the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for this age group. Prior to this announcement, the Pfizer vaccine was recommended and authorized for people no younger than 16 years of age.

The program focuses on providing financial assistance to Louisiana renters and landlords experiencing financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the expansion, the state-administered program now provides assistance for past-due rent and utility fees dating back to April 2020, as well as future rent for eligible applicants.

The first two cases in Louisiana of a more infectious COVID-19 variant known as P.1 and often referred to as the "Brazil variant" have been identified. Neither patient reported recent travel.

Mobile testing for COVID-19 in Southwest Louisiana will now include two locations, both with access to rapid COVID-19 testing through Cue Health. Cue offers COVID-19 molecular point-of-care testing with results in 20 minutes.

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By early April, when getting a vaccine might be as easy as strolling up and rolling up a sleeve, providers haven’t seen the same banging-down-the-door enthusiasm from young people since the state lifted all requirements nearly two weeks ago.

The CDC has finally said what scientists have been screaming for months: The coronavirus is overwhelmingly spread through the air, not via surfaces.

The FDA’s recent authorization of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in 12- to 15-year-olds and the CDC’s strong recommendation adds an essential tool to the proven strategies that have kept our children safe during the past school year. The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has been shown to be safe and provides a strong immune response against the virus, particularly in adolescents. Importantly, it has also been shown to substantially reduce the chance one might unknowingly pass the virus on to someone else. Thankfully, the most significant challenges of the 2020-21 school year are behind us now, and the availability of COVID-19 vaccines brings hope that the “normal” we all seek for our children and our families will come soon.