The Rundown: Welcome to the new normal
Hope you all will join me for it in this new venue...
Welcome to The Rundown 2.0: Thank you so much for checking in for our first edition! As some of you may know, I’m no longer with The Advocate | The Times-Picayune, but I feel that, especially now, people need to know what’s going on in politics and health care – two issues that I’ve covered deeply in Louisiana for several years – and all the other changing aspects of our world.
I hope this newsletter will help keep you informed about Louisiana, DC and the weird times we’re living in right now. Please subscribe and share with your friends!
Today in The Rundown: Details about the $2.2T Congressional coronavirus relief/stimulus bill; how Louisiana is responding to its huge COVID-19 numbers; priorities of Gov. John Bel Edwards moving forward; and more.
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The Countdown…
Days until Louisiana Legislature is scheduled to return to session: 5*
Days until the Governor’s stay-at-home order is lifted: 17*
Days until the Louisiana legislative session must end: 67
Days until the newly-scheduled Louisiana presidential primary: 86
Days until the presidential/senatorial/congressional election: 222
Days until the Louisiana runoff election (as needed): 254
*Could be extended but would require legislative or executive action
Coronavirus in Louisiana
The Numbers…
Cases: 1,795
Hospitalization: 491
On ventilation: 163
Deaths: 65
Tests administered (state and privately reported): 11,451
Parishes with reported cases: 48 (of 64)
**Numbers reported as of noon March 25. For updated numbers see: The Louisiana Department of Health.
The News…
Gov. John Bel Edwards is urging Louisiana residents to heed his stay-at-home order that runs at least through April 12 to try to stem the spread of coronavirus. He said the state and federal government is doing everything it can to address the ongoing crisis.
"Our efforts really are going to be in vain to a large degree if we don't get people to do their part by following the stay at home order that I issued,” he told reporters during a daily update on Wednesday.
He’ll have another update at 2 pm (CT) today that will be available online or you can follow along @elizabethcrisp on Twitter.
Edwards spent most of Wednesday stressing that ventilators and access to personal protective equipment are among Louisiana’s most critical issues at the moment.
Edwards said New Orleans-area hospitals are still about 600 ventilators short, despite an effort to increase availability and bring in 100 on Wednesday with more on the way. The state could possibly run out by the first week of April if things don’t change, he said.
“Our ventilator capacity is far from OK,” Edwards said. “The problem isn't just that cases are growing every day, it's that they are growing rapidly every day." (If you are unfamiliar with what ventilators are or do, NBCNews has a great primer here: https://nbcnews.to/3bpFhig)
Later, in an interview on PBS’s NewsHour, Edwards said he was on a call Wednesday morning with about 40 governors and access to emergency equipment was the "topic du jour” and the consensus is they want the federal government to take a bigger role in coordination of getting ventilators and other gear to states.
“Otherwise, you’re left to just beg, borrow or steal from wherever you can get these things,” he said. “You’re in competition with other states, you’re in competition with your own health care providers to some degree and sometimes the federal government will come in and make a purchase and you find out your purchase just got canceled.”
Other coronavirus notes:
Apple is donating 100,000 N95 masks to Louisiana to help with the need for protective gear.
During an appearance on Wolf Blitzer’s show on CNN, Edwards addressed theories that New Orleans’ spike could be related to Mardi Gras (the first case was reported less than two weeks after Fat Tuesday). "There was not any suggestion by anybody ... that Mardi Gras would pose a risk to public health because of coronavirus,” he said of the state not canceling carnival this year.
Edwards said all of the Louisiana congressional delegation has been instrumental in securing Louisiana’s federal disaster declaration (first reported locally on @elizabethcrisp Twitter late Tuesday night) but he especially praised U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, R-Madisonville, for reaching out to the White House directly. Kennedy and Edwards, a Democrat, have often butted heads in the past but have also teamed up in times of crisis for the state.
“It is no secret that Louisiana needs your help during this disaster. . . . I am requesting that you approve this request as expeditiously as possible in order to make additional resources available to supplement the state’s resources,” Kennedy wrote in a letter to the White House.
U.S. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, announced the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is sending an expert in Infection Prevention and Control to the Lambeth House in New Orleans, where several patients have died from COVID-19 after contracting the coronavirus.
“After alerting the Trump Administration about the severity of cases at the Lambeth House in New Orleans, I am glad we were able to get the CDC to send an expert in Infection Prevention and Control to the center to assist with their Coronavirus cases,” Scalise said. “The Lambeth House has experienced a heartbreaking number of deaths as well as an alarming increase in COVID-19 cases, and we need to help the families and facility receive the necessary assistance to increase protection of their residents.”
Coronavirus relief package: Kennedy and U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, both voted in favor of a late-night coronavirus relief package after days of deliberations. Scalise signaled on Wednesday that he also supports the bill and hopes for its speedy passage.
What’s in the bill? The coronavirus relief package includes several sections. Here’s a breakdown based on the legislative text, as distributed, as well as summaries from Republican and Democratic leaders:
Money to households: It provides for one-time payments of $1,200 to most adults making $75,000 or less each year based on past tax returns (more for couples). Households also could qualify for $500 per child. The money would come through direct deposit for those who have filed their tax returns through direct deposit or via check otherwise.
Unemployment: Increased pay for four months and extended to freelance, gig economy and furloughed workers.
Eco devo: $500 billion will go toward helping large businesses struggling during the outbreak, such as airlines, as well as loans to cities and states. The proposal, which had been a key sticking point in negotiations, now comes with additional oversight sought by Democrats.
Small business loans: About $375 billion has been set aside for helping small businesses avoid laying off workers.
Medical: About $150 billion has been set aside for health care.
Government: State and local government is in line for about $150 billion to help address the coronavirus in their communities.
Tweet beat…
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