LA COVID-19 CONCERNS - Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards has renewed a call for residents to wear masks and follow social distancing guidelines. The governor’s comments at his last Covid-19 updates were in response to a sharp increase in the daily number of new COVID-19 cases in the state as well as the rest of the country. Edwards said those who don’t follow mask-wearing guidelines and social distancing are causing the uptick in cases as well as an increase in social gatherings.
"We know beyond a shadow of a doubt that these things work, we've seen them work here and elsewhere," Edwards said. "But it's time to make sure that we're all engaged in these common sense mitigation measures."
The state recorded 2,812 confirmed new cases Friday, including 680 probable cases that were detected using the less-accurate “antigen tests” compared with the more accurate PCR tests. Although Louisiana has fared better than most states as Covid-19 infections and deaths are surging across the nation, Dr. Joe Kantor with the Louisiana Department of Health says that could change quickly.
"We as a state have a window of opportunity right now," Kantor warned. "When you look across the country, you see what's happening, it's beginning to start here. We have a window of opportunity, that window's closing as we speak."
According to the LDH, all parishes in Louisiana have seen an uptick in Covid-19 cases and are concerned the state could see more infections, hospitalizations and deaths after the Thanksgiving Day Holiday.
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