The Rundown: What the shutdown means for abortion, a temporary morgue situation and more
Today in The Rundown: Abortion in the age of coronavirus in Louisiana; a temporary morgue in New Orleans; a Louisiana lawmaker succumbs to the coronavirus epidemic as the Legislature waits out its return to Baton Rouge; the latest numbers; and everything else you need to know in Louisiana coronavirus news today.
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The Countdown…
Days until Louisiana Legislature is scheduled to return to session: TBD
Days until the Governor’s stay-at-home order is lifted: 19
Days until the Louisiana legislative session must end: 51
Days until the newly-scheduled Louisiana presidential primary: 70
Days until the presidential/senatorial/congressional election: 206
Days until the Louisiana runoff election (as needed): 238
Coronavirus in Louisiana
The Numbers…
Cases: 18,283
In Hospitals: 2,014 (On ventilation: 473)
Deaths: 702
Tests administered (state and privately reported): 86,919
Parishes with reported cases: 63 [NOTE: Tensas Parish is the only one without a confirmed case at this point, but there also have not been any confirmed tests there.]
**Numbers reported as of noon April 7. For updated numbers see: The Louisiana Department of Health.
The News…
Abortion: Will Louisiana be the next state to shutter abortion clinics during the coronavirus outbreak?
There’s been a push among some conservative states to place a moratorium on abortion services during the coronavirus epidemic while normal life is on lockdown.
On Thursday, Attorney General Jeff Landry, a Republican, announced he has launched a new task force with the goal of enforcing the suspension of non-emergency medical procedures, including abortion, in conjunction with the Louisiana Department of Health.
“All instances of non-compliance with these important directives not only put patients and staff at risk, they also divert much needed personal protective equipment away from the brave medical professionals currently treating Louisiana’s coronavirus patients,” Landry said in a statement.
Gov. John Bel Edwards’ emergency order halting elective medical procedures has prompted calls from several lawmakers, including U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, Congressmen Ralph Abraham and Mike Johnson and state legislators, who all oppose abortion, to mandate the closure of abortion clinics while the governor’s stay-at-home order is in place.
Edwards, a Democrat who opposes abortion rights, said his administration has received complaints “about clinics of various types” violating his order, including dental and vision clinics.
“We’re gonna have more information about this soon,” he said.
He declined to say whether he thinks abortion should fall under the non-essential category and said it would depend on the conditions involved.
The New Orleans-based 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 earlier this week that Texas could halt most abortions while it limits non-essential surgeries during the coronavirus outbreak.
U.S. Circuit Judge Kyle Duncan, a Baton Rouge native who is a close ally of Johnson and previously worked as legal counsel defending other Louisiana abortion restrictions, wrote in the majority opinion on the Texas ruling that “when faced with a society-threatening epidemic, a state may implement emergency measures that curtail constitutional rights so long as the measures have at least some ‘real or substantial relation’ to the public health crisis.”
Other states also are defending similar abortion bans during the pandemic in Alabama, Ohio, Oklahoma and Iowa.
Abortion rights advocates have accused Texas and other states of “exploiting” the coronavirus pandemic to stop access.
“This is not the last word — we will take every legal action necessary to fight this abuse of emergency powers,” Nancy Northup, president & CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a statement. “The need for abortion care doesn’t disappear during a pandemic.”
And a column in the New England Journal of Medicine this week argues that the concern over PPE may be short-sighted. “Women who are unable to obtain an abortion will either remain pregnant and require prenatal care and support during delivery or may use dangerous methods to induce an abortion on their own, as was more common historically when abortion care was unavailable.”
Louisiana currently bans abortion after 20 weeks, while more restrictive laws are being challenged in court. The state has been designated as the most “pro-life state” for its restrictions on abortion.
By the numbers: Louisiana has crossed another sad milestone — more than 700 people have died with covid-19 in the state as of noon Thursday. 18,283 coronavirus cases have been recorded in Louisiana, as testing continues to ramp up.
Gov. John Bel Edwards pleaded with residents to maintain mitigation efforts through the Easter weekend, despite it normally being a time of gathering among friends and family.
The state again saw a drop in the number of coronavirus patients needing ventilators, even as officials had predicted a greater need earlier in the outbreak.
The numbers seem to be shifting quite a bit after weeks of isolation in the United States. Appearing on the Today Show, Dr. Anthony Fauci said he sees “glimmers of hope” in the numbers that are being reported nationally and the nation-wide death toll could be around half of what was earlier predicted.
“I believe the mitigation – the physical separation – is starting to have an effect now,” he said, echoing similar comments that Gov. John Bel Edwards has made in Louisiana. “The American public have done a really terrific job of buckling down.”
The Trump administration painted a grim picture just weeks ago – predicting at least 100,000 deaths from coronavirus. Fauci said that, if things hold up, that number could come in more around 60,000. There have been nearly 17,000 deaths recorded so far.
Grim: New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell announced Thursday that the city is creating a temporary morgue in the city because of the death rate from coronavirus-related deaths.
Cantrell said in her latest briefing that the city is working to set up 14 refrigerated trailers on a property next to the coroner’s office.
A state emergency request for proposals provides more insight into the operations that are planned there.
Contractors will retrieve bodies from hospitals and emergency sites, including the Convention Center. The contract provides for 24-hour coverage (in 12-hour shifts). IT also requires that companies provide their own protective equipment and other safety measures. Read the full RFP here.
LaLege: The Louisiana Legislature lost a member to the coronavirus epidemic on Thursday, as another told his harrowing story of overcoming covid-19.
Rep. Reggie Bagala, 54, died after battling complications with the disease in the hospital for several days. Bagala, R-Cut Off, was sworn into the Legislature in January before lawmakers took an extended break to ride out the pandemic.
Many lawmakers and other officials shared their sorrow after news of his death.
Tweet beat…
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