Louisiana - COVID-19 Covered

Louisiana

Total Cases: 475,908 (June 14)
Tests Administered: 5,695,464 (March 7)
Fatalities: 10,655 (June 14)
Testing:
  • A list of Louisiana COVID-19 testing locations can be found here. 

ECONOMIC RESPONSE

Essential Service Designations:

  • Following Governor Edwards’ issuance of a statewide shelter in place, his office announced that the state will follow Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) guidelines for Essential Worker Functions, which includes “healthcare workers and caregivers, mental health and social service workers, pharmacy employees, workers supporting groceries, pharmacies and other retail sales of food and beverage products, restaurant carryout and quick-serve food operations and food delivery employees, farmworkers, electricity, and utility industry employees, critical manufacturing employees (medical supply chains, energy, transportation, food, chemicals), petroleum, natural and propane gas workers, transportation and logistics workers, communications and information technology employees, financial services and banking industry employees.” (March 22)

Labor & Workforce Guidance, Standards and Regulations:

  • New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell announced businesses will be required to maintain logs of the names and contact information of patrons entering their establishments when the city reopens. The measure is intended to assist the city in contact tracing. (May 6)
  • The Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s Office, in collaboration with the Louisiana Department of Health, has launched a web-based program, Open Safely, to “assist businesses and religious organizations with safely resuming operations” as the state public health emergency remains declared. (May 4)

Economic Stimulus & Relief:

  • Governor Edwards signed an exemption from state income taxes for most COVID-19-related aid programs. (June 11) 
  • Governor Edwards announced the state’s US Treasury Emergency Rental Assistance Program would be expanded to include utility assistance. (May 10) 
  • Governor Edwards announced $161 million will be funded towards a new rental assistance program, which will focus on paying past-due rent and up to three months of future rent for eligible applicants. (March 5) 
  • Governor Edwards requested that the Louisiana Legislature reallocate $175 million in unspent Main Street Recovery Grant Program funds to help those impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, including $75 million in funding directed to the state’s unemployment trust fund. (September 28) 
  • Governor Edwards announced reimbursements for COVID-19-related expenditures, which were sent out to local government agencies on August 1. (July 26) 
  • Governor Edwards announced at least $24 million in emergency rental assistance would be allocated to help struggling renters during the COVID-19 pandemic. (July 16) 
  • The Louisiana Legislature approved $250 COVID-19 checks for state front-line workers who continued working during the early stages of the pandemic. (June 29) 

Business Support & Resources:

  • Louisiana was allocated $2.4 million in CARES Act funding to support economic development programs. (November 20) 
  • State Treasurer John Schroder announces Louisiana small businesses impacted by COVID-19 can apply for up to $15,000 in grants beginning July 28. (July 2) 
  • Louisiana lawmakers approved a $34 billion state budget, which provides hundreds of millions for businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. (July 1) 
  • Governor Edwards signed a bill allocating $300 million in federal COVID-19 aid to support small businesses in Louisiana. (June 15) 

SOCIAL RESTRICTIONS

Reopening:

  • Governor Edwards signed a public health emergency order that removed all remaining business capacity restrictions and most masking requirements. (May 26) 
  • Governor Edwards announced that fully vaccinated residents would no longer have to wear masks indoors except in certain locations, such as educational facilities, public transit, correctional settings, and health care facilities. Businesses and local governments would be permitted to make decisions regarding face covering requirements. (May 17) 
  • Governor Edwards announced that additional COVID-19 restrictions would be loosened, including the statewide mask mandate. Masks will still be required on public transit and in state government buildings, K-12 schools, early childhood education centers, universities, and healthcare facilities. (April 28) 
  • Governor Edwards eased some COVID-19 restrictions, including capacity limits on bars, restaurants, salons, and fitness centers. The statewide mask mandate remained in place. (March 31)  
  • Governor Edwards announced that Louisiana would open COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to all residents 16 years of age or older beginning March 29. (March 24) 
  • Governor Edwards announced that all essential workers would be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine beginning March 22. (March 19) 
  • Governor Edwards announced the state would move into Phase 3 of its reopening plan. The majority of businesses would be able to move to 75 percent of their capacity, while indoor gatherings and event centers would be capped at 50 percent of their capacity, with a maximum of 250 people. Religious services would no longer have capacity limits. (March 3) 
  • Governor Edwards extended Phase 2 coronavirus restrictions for another 21 days. (February 10) 
  • Governor Edwards announced the state would receive 79,000 doses for its first two shipments of COVID-19 vaccines. (December 14) 
  • Governor Edwards announced that Louisiana would move back to Phase 2 reopening. The modified order limited restaurants to 50 percent of their indoor capacity and closed all indoor sales at bars. (November 25) 
  • Governor Edwards issued an updated public health emergency order that allowed for alcohol to be served at sporting events in parishes that qualify and have opted into open bars. (October 5) 
  • Louisiana implemented new federal guidance on nursing homes, allowing for socially distant nursing home visits. (September 18) 

SCHOOL PLANNING

K-12:

  • State education officials announced that public school students, teachers, and staff can finish quarantines after seven days if they test negative for the coronavirus and show no symptoms, and after 10 days without a test if no symptoms surface. (December 7) 
  • Governor Edwards amended his Phase 3 order for outdoor high school sports by allowing outdoor stadiums in parishes with lower rates of positive COVID-19 tests to move to 50 percent capacity, up from 25 percent. Parishes must have positivity of less than five percent for two consecutive weeks. (October 23) 

State Higher Education:

  • A list of Louisiana universities and colleges that planned to reopen in the fall can be found here. 

Giving Opportunities

April 20, 2020

Primary supplies needed are N95 Mask (10,000), surgical gowns (10,000), and small bottles of hand sanitizer (20,000).

Produced by Marathon Strategies, an independent PR firm that delivers intelligent communications and research solutions. For information, email Phil Singer at [email protected]