COVID-19: Louisiana Reopens

Gov. John Bel Edwards and State Health Officer Dr. Joseph Kanter applauded the U. S. Food and Drug Administration’s full approval of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, the first such full approval of its kind. The COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and easily available all across Louisiana for people ages 12 and older. More than 2.2 million Louisianans have taken at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, with nearly 40 percent of Louisiana’s population fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to CDC data.

Gov. John Bel Edwards released the following statement on President Joseph R. Biden’s extension of the National Guard’s Title 32 COVID-19 mission through the end of the year and 100 percent federal cost share for FEMA Public Assistance Category B – Emergency Protective Measures.

Gov. John Bel Edwards and the Louisiana Department of Health announced Shot For 100, a new vaccine incentive program that will give $100 to the first 75,000 college students who get their COVID-19 vaccine at participating institutions of higher education.

Gov. John Bel Edwards has sent a letter to Louisiana Education Superintendent Dr. Cade Brumley to clarify any confusion parents may have about the reinstated temporary mask mandate for K-12 students. The letter is in direct response to questions raised about exceptions to the mandate and in particular, the letter by the Louisiana attorney general that ignores the dangerous fourth surge of COVID-19 that Louisiana is currently facing with increasingly alarming case counts, hospitalizations and deaths and seeks to undermine public confidence in one of the most effective tools to combat it. At this time, children under age 12 are not eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, but wearing a mask has proven to be one of the most effective tools we have for slowing the transmission of this virus.

Healthcare and business leaders from across Louisiana have spoken out in support of Gov. John Bel Edwards’ mask mandate, which will help limit suffering and death as the state experiences its worst surge yet. The statewide indoor mask mandate, when coupled with efforts to increase Louisiana’s vaccination rate, is an important way to improve Louisiana’s COVID-19 situation without further harming Louisiana’s small businesses.

Gov. John Bel Edwards has temporarily reinstated Louisiana’s statewide mask mandate indoors for all people age five and older as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to rise across Louisiana, threatening the ability of Louisiana’s hospitals to deliver care during this fourth surge of COVID. Louisiana is currently in the worst surge of the COVID-19 pandemic so far in terms of case growth rate, percent positivity and hospitalizations.

Today as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Louisiana both hit records, the Louisiana Department of Health and Governor Edwards both urge individuals in Louisiana to take immediate precautions for their own and others’ safety.

As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to rise in Louisiana, and following the designation of Louisiana by the White House as a “state of concern” because of its rapid case growth and insufficient vaccination rate, today Gov. John Bel Edwards and the Louisiana Department of Health issued updated guidance recommending that all people, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, wear masks indoors when at least six feet of distancing is not physically possible during the fourth surge of COVID-19.

“It’s safe and effective,” Scalise said, noting he supported funding that allowed the Trump administration to fast-track the process. “It was heavily tested on thousands of people before the FDA gave its approval. Some people believe that it might have been rushed. That’s not the case. I’ve been vocal about that for months. I know their process has high standards. The FDA approval process is probably the most respected in the world.”

As COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths continue to surge among unvaccinated Louisianans, Gov. John Bel Edwards is calling upon all Louisianans to take action to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the state by getting their vaccine if they have not yet done so or by helping their family, friends and neighbors get the shot. Between February and July of 2021, unvaccinated people in Louisiana were 20 times more likely to become ill with COVID-19.

As the more contagious Delta COVID-19 variant spreads across Louisiana, Friday, July 9 is the perfect day for Louisianans to take the vaccine to protect themselves against COVID-19 while still beating the deadline to register for the first Shot At A Million drawing.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell released three Public Service Announcements today aimed at helping people with their emergency preparedness efforts, including getting vaccinated against COVID-19, hurricane preparedness and the importance of flood insurance.

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.

If you are not fully vaccinated and aged 2 or older, you should wear a mask in indoor public places.