The Rundown: Why Louisiana saw a big jump in coronavirus cases, a vote-by-mail effort grows and more
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Today in The Rundown: Louisiana’s latest coronavirus numbers and what they mean; the president’s position on needed equipment for health care; a vote-by-mail effort grows; and more news!
Be sure to check out a *bonus* edition of The Rundown this weekend: Deep dives into what the federal stimulus package provides and how you can tap into it; the impact that coronavirus is having on campaigns and elections; and more.
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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: 27
Days until the Louisiana legislative session must end: 59
Days until the newly-scheduled Louisiana presidential primary: 78
Days until the presidential/senatorial/congressional election: 215
Days until the Louisiana runoff election (as needed): 246
Coronavirus in Louisiana
The Numbers…
Cases: 9,150
In Hospitals: 1,639 (On ventilation: 507)
Deaths: 310
Tests administered (state and privately reported): 51,086
Parishes with reported cases: 61 (of 64)
**Numbers reported as of noon April 2. For updated numbers see: The Louisiana Department of Health.
The Latest…
Did ya hear that? Gov. John Bel Edwards’ administration utilized the state’s mass text alert system on Thursday to warn people about the coronavirus pandemic and notify that he’s extending (as expected) his state-wide stay-at-home order through the rest of the month. If you were surprised when your phone buzzed at 4 pm, you’re not alone (as Twitter shows), but that also means you aren’t following me on Twitter/Facebook. So fix that now!
Louisiana is approaching 10,000 confirmed covid-19 cases as testing ramps up. More than 300 people have died with the disease, many of them with other health issues that make them more vulnerable to the virus (including diabetes, heart disease and obesity).
Edwards on Thursday confirmed the state is working off the model developed by the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluations (If you’ve been reading The Rundown, you know these projection numbers already). It puts Louisiana’s peak for deaths per day in a week at around 76 if people follow mitigation efforts. The total number of Louisiana deaths from coronavirus is projected at about 1,834 and nationally at about 94,000, under that model.
As other states lag in testing, Edwards said the steep jump in Louisiana’s confirmed cases could be read more as a reflection of a ramped up testing effort. Edwards suggested people should look to deaths and hospitalizations to more accurately compare (as has been reported here in The Rundown).
President Donald Trump on Thursday again defended the run on ventilators that states like Louisiana are facing amid the coronavirus pandemic, while also formally invoking the Defense Production Act for ventilators.
Noting the federal stockpile couldn’t fulfill all the requests from states, Trump said states should have been putting more from their reserves into their own stockpiles.
“We’re a back up, we’re not an ordering clerk,” he said, before admonishing state leaders who were pressing on the federal government for more help. “We’ve done an unbelievable job … but we’re a back up. Ideally, those states should have had that equipment, and I think they will next time.”
“The states have to stock up,” he added. “In some cases, their shelves were bare.”
Louisiana has received 150 vents from the federal stockpile and is anticipating more.
While everyone’s lives have been upended by the coronavirus, a new movement has taken hold to push for mail-in voting.
Louisiana Vote By Mail has been circulating petitions (largely online, natch) and putting in calls to state leaders to advocate for the state to allow requested ballots be sent to voters by mail and returned by mail, fax or hand delivery.
The coronavirus pandemic has spurred a new wave of interest in the voter effort, as people worry about social distancing and worker safety at the polls.
Presumptive Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden has signaled he favors the option, as have some other Democrats nationally. So far, no major Louisiana leader has been vocally in favor of the proposition.
Important reminder…
Gov. Edwards has issued a proclamation loosening restrictions on health care workers coming to the state to aid the coronavirus response efforts. People can sign up via LAVA: https://lava.dhh.louisiana.gov/
Tweet beat…
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