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Gov. John Bel Edwards to address uptick in COVID cases during Friday news conference
BATON ROUGE - A recent spike in U.S. COVID cases has triggered a variety of responses from states across the country.
The increase motivated officials in California's Los Angeles County to reissue a mask mandate.
Click here to watch the news conference live
Due to increased #COVID19 transmission, LA County will be requiring masks indoors regardless of vaccination status, starting 11:59 PM on Saturday, July 17th. Wearing a mask when indoors with others reduces the risk of both getting and transmitting the virus. pic.twitter.com/fDE3ITVcEj
— Los Angeles County (@CountyofLA) July 15, 2021
Meanwhile, Mississippi has not reissued a mask requirement but has advised citizens 65 years of age and older and those with chronic underlying medical conditions to avoid indoor mass gatherings regardless of vaccination status.
Today MSDH is reporting 557 more cases of COVID-19 in Mississippi, four deaths, and 37 ongoing outbreaks in long-term care facilities. The state's #covid19 totals are now 326,270 cases, 7,460 deaths, and 1,003,825 persons fully vaccinated. pic.twitter.com/o27ZriRtsO
— MS Dept of Health (@msdh) July 15, 2021Trending News
And with school just around the corner, officials in Louisiana are laying out what sorts of COVID-19 precautions schools will be taking as the 2021-2022 year begins.
For the most part, local schools will not be requiring a host of COVID-related precautions.
For example, the Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge canceled its required mask mandate and proof of COVID-19 vaccination status for students.
Initially, these requirements would have been part of the upcoming Fall semester.
But after a number of parents spoke out against the mandate, the Diocese issued a new statement Thursday night, saying masks will be optional and students will not be required to show proof of their COVID vaccination status.
Similarly, students in Ascension Parish will not be required to wear masks while on campus, local school leaders say.
East Baton Rouge Parish has yet to detail its COVID-related plans, but expects to do so by August 3.
Governor John Bel Edwards is scheduled to address the public with an update on how state officials are responding to the uptick in COVID cases.
As of Friday, according to Louisiana Department of Health, just over 1,500 new virus cases have been reported and 1,677,030 people in Louisiana are fully vaccinated.
The Department is reporting 20,441 #COVID19 vaccinations administered since the previous update. The state has now administered 3,380,229 doses, including 1,677,030 completed series https://t.co/HPzU8KU2xD pic.twitter.com/Bs4BD5fmnA
— Louisiana Department of Health (@LADeptHealth) July 15, 2021
Edwards is expected to encourage more residents to get vaccinated and take advantage of the Shot At a Million lottery, which affords vaccinated residents the opportunity to win a series of cash prizes and even a chance to win $1 million.
Click here for more on the lottery.
The Governor will address the public Friday at 11 a.m. during a news conference that will be available to view on WBRZ Plus and on WBRZ's Facebook Page.
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