Pre-Conference Question - What do you think he'll announce?
A harsher lecture on being a GOOD NEIGHBOR?
Modified Phase 3 ala New Orleans?
Moving back to Phase 2 or 1?
Or will it be an unexpected Stay At Home order?
Some other option?
Summary
NOTE: The summary of this press conference is transcribed LIVE. The summary may contain spelling and grammatical errors which until it is able to be corrected once the conference concludes. NOTE: The summary may contain spelling and grammatical errors. Gov JBE
Anyone who has been paying attention to the news whether internationally, nationally, or state you know COVID-19 is going in the wrong direction unmoving very fast in the wrong direction.
Louisiana is experiencing the third surge of COVID-19.
Nov alone the US has had more new cases than in any other months and hospitalizations are at a record high nationally. Higher than other surges.
Yesterday the US added more than 169,000 new cases in one day and 898 deaths.
This week's WH Coronavirus Taskforce Report shows 474 new cases per 100,000 people last week we had 172 new cases per 100,000 people. The national average is 356 cases per 100,000.
So this is the first week in many weeks that LA has had more new cases than the national average.
Today we report ___ new cases and sadly 39 additional people have lost their lives to the virus for a Toal amount of ___ deaths. Reporting 1,052 hospitalizations, not the first of the month we had less than 600. Today we are up 40 than yesterday with more than 350+ net new COVID19 hospitalizations. 113 patients on mechanical ventilators.
When we see what's happening in state and across all regions we have to be very cautious about hospitalizations and maintain the capacity to give life-saving care to covid and non-covid patients.
Trajectory we are on it is imperative we take action now.
If we could flip a switch and get 100% adherence to mitigation measures to all measures we are still 2 weeks from seeing changes.
We are in for a rough patch, and the degree we flatten the curve and are successful will depend on eery Louisianan.
We are stepping a step back to a revised Phase 2. So Phase 2 with some modifications.
We got out of the prior surge by moving to Phase 2.
What does that mean?
Will get into that later...
Wants to get ahead of the Thanksgiving Holiday and the extended holiday season.
Data includes info thru Friday, Nov 20.
Dr Kanter
Thanks National Guard, GOSHEP, and the LDH for working very hard and working over the holiday.
Gating Criteria Slides:
What we are seeing is as concerning as it has ever been. We were lucky to have a reprieve from the rest of the countries rise in cases for a few weeks we are now where a large portion of the country is.
Top left shows % of patients coming into ER departments across the state with symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 you can see the prior spikes and now it is increasing again.
Top right show new cases on a rolling 7-day average you can see the first and second spikes and now the increase we are on which is almost identical to where we were going up in the second spike and clearly we have not hit the top yet.
Bottom left you can see the % positivity dated back to the date of collection and that is increasing as well up to 8.1% now will be posted on the dashboard tomorrow. You will see testing volume is also increasing. There is more COVID so more people are getting tested due to more exposure plus the increase around testing around the holiday. An increase in testing volume has no bearing on testing positivity. An increase in positivity and testing volume is a strong signal we are experiencing a lot of COVID.
Bottom right is the amount of hospitalized patients with COVID19 you can see the two spikes and now a sharp increase. It is a rate of increase that our hospitals cannot stand for very much longer.
Region analysis - every region across the state are seeing similar increases.
Region 1 Orleans - increase across the board.
Region 2 EBR - increase across the board.
Region 3 River parishes - increase across the board.
Region 4 - increases across the board.
Region 5 Lake Charles - increases across the board.
Region 6 Can LA - increases across the board with a very sharp increase in new cases and hosp.
Region 7 - increase across the board.
Region 8 - increase across the board.
Region 9 - increases across the board.
A month ago it was a mixed bag with some areas plateauing or increasing.
Now the entire state for all gating criteria is increasing, (only Can LA is plateauing for COVID-like illness reports).
Still have capacity across the state but this is a lagging indicator so if you act when hospitals are at capacity it is too late.
People waiting a long time to get a bed. One ER had to use recliners in the ER while people waited for a bed to open up.
Rural/smaller hospitals are having a difficult time transferring patients to other locations. Not every ICU bed is equal and some conditions require more expertise from an advanced center. Only a handful exist across the state. Even if a rural hospital has an ICU available if a patient presents with needing an advanced team and there are none available they may have to wait a couple of days before they get transferred in. That's a delay of care and has consequences.
Hospitals are stretched and already at staffing capacity. A nurse may typically care for 4-5 patients may now be caring for 6-7.
These things have consequences and it is just the beginning because we haven't hit capacity yet. This is a warning we have to act now. There are things we are working to preserve in the state and the ability to access normal hospital care is one of those priorities. We do not want to have to delay scheduled procedures.
The path ahead is dangerous. This is a dangerous time for Louisiana.
The trajectory we are on is dangerous. We are on a similar trajectory as before.
Now it is flu season so we have extra patients in the hospital.
Weather turning cold so more people indoors = more transmission.
Peak of the holiday season coming up so there's a temptation to gather. Gathering = more transmission.
Previous increases we were not in lockstep with the rest of the country. Every other state is seeing runs on hospital care and demands of their hospital staff at the same time we are. If we need to ask for help, it may not be there this time. In fact, we don't think they will be available because they will be caring for their own state's patients.
Questions for Dr Kanter about data
Related to Halloween? Seems people are willing to gather for Thanksgiving. Are we going to see a worsening 2 weeks after Thanksgiving We are already seeing just about as steep of an increase as we can get it really can't get much steeper than that. I don't know, looking back to Halloween, it was part of it. I think increases from other states was bleeding over into our particularly in Northern LA. Plus we are tired, COVID fatigue is real, and it's easy to get complacent. Even without Thanksgiving coming ahead we will continue to get worse. I don't know how much worse it gets with Thanksgiving. I cannot emphasize this more than enough if you need to make a decision for your family talk to someone who has had it, experiencing the disease, or someone who has worked in the affected healthcare facilities during those two surges. How much is being driven by small gatherings indoors and if so it doesn't seem restrictions matter than much Small gatherings have been a larger component than months ago, there is no question about that but that is just one slice. We continue to see a lot of cases tied to bars, restaurants, events, and churches as well. Mitigation measures are going to be significant in their effect but not absolute. The other side is that people really need to make responsible decisions when no one is looking. No one will police who parities but I want families to take it seriously and know what the real risks are and make an informed decision. The more families are informed the more they will be likely to say for this year, for my family, it is just not worth it. Gov. JBE
We have already been told that for example if we will request help from he Fed gov in respect to medical care to Louisiana there are 12 individual and discrete things we have done first before we can be considered.
Strong indication we cannot count on that.
Difference between Spring and Summer surges when we did have medical personnel available from requests to the Federal government at that time.
Partially important for Northern and Central LA. I do not know how hard it will be to go back in the gating criteria for those regions but if you go to Region 6. If you look right at the summer surge we never got those numbers as far down as we wanted to we never got those numbers down to where we wanted to. So the baseline of going into the third surge is much higher relatively speaking to the state as a whole. So we are already in a much more difficult place.
Statewide the non-COVID patient population is higher now than it was in the Spring or the Summer.
Region 7 you will see the right of the summer surge the numbers did not come down to be even close to where they were before the summer surge started. So they have a very high baseline of cases.
Region 8 the same thing.
Our numbers are worse and they are getting worse everywhere so I hesitate to bring up regions 6,7, and 8 because people might think that's the only places we need to be focused on. That is not true, but I will tell you its a particular concern if you are in Central or Northern LA because you have such a high baseline going into this.
While we need adherence to restrictions everywhere it is particularly acute in Regions 6,7, and 8.
Breakdown of Phase 2 (modified) will become effective tomorrow and last 28 days (4 weeks) expiring on Dec 23:
Statewide surge requiring a statewide effort.
Follows the White House Coronavirus Task Force recommendations.
Last time we had such a large single-day increase was in July -- which is when we took action through implementing Phase 2 and the mask mandate -- and collectively the people across Louisiana responded and we bent the curve.
Time for us to rise again and meet the challenge before us.
With the Holiday season before us we really gotta pay attention to this now so we do not overburden our hospitals to not deliver care. I do not want to have hospitals have to cancel elective surgeries or medical procedures want. Delayed non-emergency procedures and surges often transmit into emergencies later on. Do not want doctors to have to make crisis care decisions pitting cases against one another due to a lack of resources.
We have avoided crisis care during our previous waves because we worked together to flatten the curve.
If there was ever a time to step up and be a good neighbor, whether it is to your actual neighbor or to someone in LA you have never met, that time is now.
People do not stop having car accidents because of a pandemic. There are still critical care needs apart from COVID.
Do it for the medical professionals as well who have been overworked since March.
To keep schools open.
Encouraging all employers public and private to maximize the use of telework where possible.
Ask families to engage in safe holiday-related activities. When you gather with those outsides from your household the more times you do it the more you roll the dice and the more likely it is that you or multiple people get sick. With community spread the dice are loaded against you. I ask you not to do this, especially during the holidays. It is what the CDC and LDH recommend.
Start planning now for a safe Christmas and Hanukkah.
Reduction in gathering sizes for businesses & houses of worship
50% for occupancy with social distancing and masks for restaurants, coffee shops, cafes, gyms, casinos, and video poker, and non-essential retail businesses.**
Essential is determined by the Dept. of Homeland Security.
75% for occupancy with social distancing and masks for churches and places of worship.**
Reduction in gathering sizes at bars other restrictions remain in place.
Bars in parishes with greater than 5% must close to indoors consumption can have outdoor seating of up to 50 people, seated and spaced out, and masks mandated.
Bars in parishes with less than 5% can allow indoor consumption up to 25% occupancy seated and spaced out; outdoor consumption encouraged and masks mandated.
Reduction in gathering sizes at event centers
Indoors limited to 25% occupancy, make required up to 75.
Outdoors limited to 25% occupancy, masks required, up to 150 where social distancing is not possible.
Reduction of sporting event occupancy
Limited to 25% occupancy.
When LDH updates the two-week case incidence numbers tomorrow there will be some parishes where bars close, that were going to happen regardless of these changes because those parishes would have exceeded the 10% that was previously required.
Now allowing outdoor seating.
Statewide mask mandate remains in effect
It was a critical part of slowing the spread in the summer and is a critical part now.
Now we know wearing a mask also reduces transmission to you as well as those around you.
Doing everything we can to keep schools open.
Local decision how schools do this.. if they are in person, vertical, or hybrid.
Do not have an expectation that by Dec 23rd we will reduce restrictions a couple of days ahead of Christmas.
All data indicates we in for a couple of rough months.
No one should believe we will relax restrictions around that time.
I hope and pray, and believe, we will not have to put more restrictions in place before then.
Will be dependent on if the people of Louisiana embrace the mitigation measures and flatten that curve again. If we stay on the current trajectory we will be forced to put more restrictions in place.
Everyday households need to stick together and reduce interaction with those outside of their household.
Any activities that do take place should take place outside rather than inside.
Odds are 20x higher to catch the virus indoors than outdoors when the same activity takes place.
We are expecting rain this week perhaps staying with us through Thanksgiving and after.
Even if you planned the safest possible event with it intended to be outdoors there is a good chance you will not be able to do that.
Now is your opportunity to adjust your Thanksgiving plans.
Do not have people from different households come indoors together. The virus doesn't care if you are a relative.
If you want a Christmas without loved ones in the hospital, or worse, you need to be extremely careful on Thanksgiving and every day.
Next few weeks would normally be holiday party time - office, block, family, etc.
Holiday parties are a recipe for disaster now. Asking people to forgo those parties.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel, it is not a high-speed train heading in our direction, I believe in a few months we will be able to put the pandemic behind us. Next month we can start vaccinating in small numbers and will take some time to get to the general population. Do not get in your mind we will have to mask up and physically distance forever. There is an excellent chance that next Thanksgiving will be the best one ever. While there is COVID fatigue and I know it is real, it is also real that we are looking for renewed interest and compliance for a finite amount of time. I hope it inspires people to do what is required and know they won't have to do it forever. The next few months are critical. We need everyone to be on the same page.
Holidays are about showing your love for those you care about. The best way to love someone right now is to give them COVID. So like it says, "pass the pie and not COVID" that is our mission. That is the mission for everybody in Louisiana.
Follow the commonsense public health measures, the restrictions, and mitigation measures.
They work and have worked before.
Mitigation measures: wear a mask, stay 6ft apart from that outside of your household, wash your hands for 20 seconds, stay home when sick, and protect the most vulnerable from this disease (65+ in age and those with co-morbidities).
Thanks to all public health workers.
Owe a debt of gratitude for those who have worked so hard for months now. We should not make it harder than it needs to be. We should all do our part.
Questions
Epidemiologists in Louisiana say we may be getting diminishing returns on our introduction of restrictions than what we previously saw. Are you concerned that the impact of the introduction of these restrictions will be more gradual and the implications that may have I am concerned about an awful lot as it is related to COVID19 and this pandemic. There is not one easy decision I have made nor one that has brought me joy. I am convinced that if the people of Louisiana will embrace these mitigation measures and restrictions, be patient and selfless, and ensure compliance that we will flatten the curve again. That is what I know. There are no magic tricks to be worked here. The only way to stop a surge is with restrictions and mitigation measures. So with the numbers increases here and around the country as they are the sense of urgency that you see coming out of leaders in Washington right now, as seen with Vice President Pence and the Coronavirus Task Force the other day, everyone should understand that this a very very serious situation. We have to do our part in order to slow the spread. It has to be a collective effort. No one should say is 99% of the people do it that's good enough I don't have to personally do it... that doesn't work. We all have to see it as a common effort that we all play our part. If someone would have presented a better option to flatten the curve I would have taken it. I know we have COVID fatigue here and around the country. If there was something other than wearing masks, washing your hands and staying home when you are sick, and so forth I would embrace it. It doesn't exist. That is why you hear this coming out of Washington and all the other healthcare workers how important these are. So let's do it. Let's flatten the curve again. I feel very comfortable that in several months, not sure when we will have enough of our population vaccinated that I believe we can start putting in the rear view mirror. Until now and then we have to do what is necessary. I do not know if there is another surge after this one, I pray not, but we know we are surging now. Are you trying to change the way enforcement has been handled on these public health issues. Obviously the problem is people aren't following previous guidelines.. so are you making changes to enforcement? We will continue to work with businesses of all types and venues to ensure that they understand that the restrictions are what rules they have to abide by. Individuals and businesses can get more information at opensafely.la.gov and you will get more information. Will there be enforcement? Yes, there will be, but I am going to say what I've said back in March and every time since then, if the people in Louisiana insist we enforce our way through this we are doomed to failure. There are 4.66 million Louisianas and 10s of thousands of business and quite frankly we cannot enforce our way through this. We are going to be asking people to comply, do compliance visits, respond to complaints, and where people refuse to come int o compliance you can expect enforcement. That will not get us through this surge. That will not protect the health of our fellow Louisianans, it is better than not doing any enforcement. We need to have people doin this because it is the right thing to do. They need to embrace it, not because it is pleasant but at the end of the day this about people's lives are talking about. We are doing our very best to strike the balance between lives on one hand and livelihoods on the other. When it comes to economy, to business, to employers, to livelihoods, the best thing we can do is put this virus behind us. Are the rules for temporary conditional permits allowing bars to operate as restaurants remain in effect? Yes and we currently have 372 bars using conditional permits to operate as restaurants. They are not a hybrid, they are not part bar or part bar. They operate as restaurants if they are operating properly and they follow all rules for restaurants. For other establishment that continue to operate as bars they need to follow the way we outlined bars operate today. What are you doing for your Thanksgiving celebration. You have a son who is coming home from college because LSU is going virtual for Thanksgiving Yeah I have a son who actually lives here in Baton Rogue and he will likely be coming home to spend some time with us. I will tell you we will stay in baton Rogue at the mansion and have a Thanksgiving meal that consists of the immediate household. We will gives thanks because even during this pandemic which has been so tough on people, even after the 3 hurricanes that hit this year, we have so much to be thankful for. God has truly blessed us. Thanksgiving is a day to give thanks and that is important to me and my family and we are going to do it, but last year I remember my 84 year old mother came, my 6 siblings all came with their spouses and children and grandchildren. We had 80 or 90 people. You will not be seeing that this year and you will not see it at Christmas either. I hope and pray that if you are with me on Thanksgiving Day of 2021 you will see that. I believe that you will, but between now and then we all have to do our part. Did you tell Legislative leaders about these new restrictions before you came out here today? What was their response? Yes, I did. You need to know that I routinely send data and information to the Speaker and to the President. We have complete transparency on the data we are relying on because we update it every day aside for Saturday. We also have sent Legislative leadership, and I believe every member of the Legislature, every White House Coronavirus Task Force report whenever we get them. This morning in a addition to those things we presented all gating criteria slides to the Speaker and the President. We talked about where we were especially in light of our hospital capacity and our need to go back to a modified Phase 2 in order to flatten the curve again. They asked some questions, expressed concerns to makes sure whether the Fire Marshall or ATC will work with proprietors and bar owners to maximum extend possible so they can know hat is expected of them and be given an opportunity, if they are operation in good faith -- of which the overwhelming majority of businesses are -- to come into compliance. That has been our approach throughout the pandemic. We have always bent over backwards to make sure individuals know what the rules give them every opportunity to come into compliance and only after persistent shortcomings/refusal to do any real enforcement actions like citations take place. I assured him our approach would not change. Does the influx of new vaccines change our prognosis at all We have a draft plan in Louisiana that we continue to update and revise daily. The reason it is a draft plan is that we still don't know the day that we will get the first vaccines nor the number of doses that will be there. I have every expectation that around mid-December we should receive some doses of the Pfizer vaccines first. We don't know how many it could be as few as 30,000 or might be 60,000 we do not know for sure. We think the first doses of the Moderna vaccines would come weeks later, perhaps with a smaller number available initially. We continue to work with our federal partners. We were on the phone with Azar yesterday and talked about the logistical aspects of Project Warpspeed. Once the vaccine gets the EUA from the FDA we will have the vaccine in route to our location(s) of choice in 24 hours. The first shipment will be prioritized to healthcare workers, then high-risk groups (nursing homes, assisted living centers, congregated shelters), then the list expands from there out. Ultimately we want to get to a place where we put a call out to the general population they can go to their health unit (hospital, doctor's office, or pharmacy) and get the vaccine. This is not a one and one vaccine, it requires a second dose, depending on the manufacturer that could be between 21-28 days later. More vaccines may come only over time and some of these things may change. I do not want talk of the vaccine, it is critically important and no one is more excited than I am, but I do not want the talk of the vaccine to cause people to not pay attention to what is imperative right now. That is why you hear Dr. Birx, Dr. Fauci, Azar, talking about the term of bridging to the vaccine and needing to double-down on measures until the vaccine is widely available. The vaccine will not be here in the numbers we need soon enough to reverse the trajectory and numbers we went over today. I do want to mention I have every confidence that when the FDA issues that EUA that that vaccine will be safe and effective. I hope my fellow Louisiana will embrace the vaccine. A vaccine saves 0 lives but vaccination can save a lot of lives. The vaccination requires the vaccines and an individual to receive that vaccine in two injections. So please understand the FDA has not cut out any steps required to evaluate the safety and efficacy of these vaccines. In fact, the trial sizes were 5x-6x more than one would normally see in a trial. They took steps consecutively instead of sequentially to make this vaccine thereby shortening its time for production. They started the mass production while trials were still happening. So if that authorization comes they have the vaccine to distribute and more to be distributed and you don't have to start that manufacturing process up from the beginning. So I really want people to embrace this and understand they will be safe and effective once the call goes out to start vaccination. Does the state have enough cold storage for the vaccines or does the state have to put in some money for that? We've identified the cold storage capacity that we need pursuant to our plan to administer the Pfizer vaccine. Its a combination of cold storage capacity and dry ice. We will be in good shape there. This is why you have to have really good hard work going on hard in advance. That way working with hospitals and universities you are able to identify all the cold storage you have, where is available for these vaccines and then you plug that into your plan. That will not be a limiting factor in terms of receiving the vaccine. Logistically it makes it more complicated because you have to receive it at those sites and distribute it from there. They are still evaluating how long the vaccines remain stable once they thaw out. We will be all over that so we will make sure if that vial falls out it will be administered while it is stable and making sure that people come and get the second dose as well.
Closing remarks
Thank you for continuing to cover this. We do not anticipate another press conference until next week, date unknown.
As I mentioned awhile ago, despite how difficult this year has been for all of us both individually and as a state, there is a lot for us to be thankful for. That is always the case. So Thanksgiving is about giving thanks for the blessing we enjoy and I would encourage people to find ways to have a celebration that is safe so we can be thankful for the blessings we have while being mindful of the dangers of this pandemic. There are dangers if we insists on celebrating the holidays as we have in past. I cannot strongly encourage people to be patient. I know you are tired of this but be patient and love your loved ones by making sure you do not expose them to unnecessary risk. We close to them through the phone, FaceTime, and other ways. Let's look forward to getting together without restrictions and mitigation measures. Unless between now and then we are too risky with our behaviors and we'll be lamenting the fact that we didn't do what we were asked to do. That some of our loved ones won't be with us when the time comes to celebrate in person. When that next birthday, Thanksgiving, or Christmas happens. I encourage everyone to do their part. You've done it before. We can do it again. I am not asking for you to do this forever. There is finite time I am asking for. I cannot tell you when, but I believe in several months we will be putting this in our rearview mirror, but it is not today. In fact, it is not in our rear-view mirror it is in our grill and it is a nasty nasty situation here in Louisiana like it is around the country. We do not have a moment to waste. Everyone has to do their part. If we do, and I'm sure we will, we will get through this. I have every confidence of the people in Louisiana. They have always inspired by their kindness, goodness, and generosity and I believe they will do it again. So let's work together. Let's save lives. God bless and thank you.
Cases that come back positive hospitalizations are increasing.
Clear to me that the current restrictions are not enough. The appeal to the Louisiana citizens is not producing the results that are needed.
Yesterday was the highest day of new cases.
Today we report 2,166 new cases and a case positivity of 11.3%
Both yesterday and today exceeded 10% for case positivity.
Yes, we are testing more people. This is good, a test does not create a case it tells you where you have cases. So yes we are seeing more of the cases that are out there.
Thus far in the month of July, we are 11 days in, and we have almost met our monthly goal of 200,000 tests with over 195,000 tests reported as of today.
As recently as June the 19th we were 10th in the country for cases per capita now we are number 3.
Our rate is not just higher for Louisiana but for all of those states that were previously ahead of us.
We are number 3 behind New York and New Jersey.
We cannot go back to a time where we are running out hospitals and ventilators.
Yesterday alone we added 75 new inpatients today was 65 more.
June the 13th we had 532 people in the hospital today we have [____].
Fauci says we need better compliance with mask usage, physical distancing, and limiting crowd sizes.
We have been extremely patient to have compliance from the community but we are moving a little further.
Trying not to ever move back to Phase 2 or Phase 1.
Need to balance between the virus, the economy, and opening up schools.
Staying in Phase 2 until at least July 24th with some changes starting Monday.
Masks are mandated statewide for 8 years of age or older unless they have a health condition that prevents them from wearing a mask.
Strongly suggested that children between 2-7 wear them
Parishes can opt-out of this mandate if they do not have a high incidence of COVID-19 only 3 parishes currently qualify:
Grant
Red River
West Feliciana
All bars closed to on-premises consumption but may do curbside pickup.
Indoor social gatherings are limited to 50 people.
50% occupancy remains for businesses.
Informal backyard gatherings are the largest contributor to spread think birthdays, baby showers, weddings, etc. Instances where you only invite your close relatives and close friends. But your close relatives and friends may have COVID-19 and they are not part of your immediate household.
If you have these types of events you need to keep them as small as you can, wear masks, physical distance, and try to hold them outdoors.
Changes go into effect Monday night right after midnight so there is time to comply. Orders will stay in place until at least July 24th.
Mod Note: Monday at midnight for this instance means 12:01 AM Monday, so it will start right after midnight today.
These decisions are based on White House guidance and guidance from public health experts.
Vice President Pence will be coming Tuesday and the White House Task Force been encoring the public to follow local and state orders to follow mask mandate. They encourage mask mandates for where cases are increasing rapidly [like here in Louisiana].
Face masks order follow CDC guidance. Masks are mandated statewide for anyone 8 years of age or older.
Exemptions to mask-wearing:
Have a health condition that prevents you from wearing a mask.
Anyone eating or drinking.
Anyone communicating to the speech impaired.
Anyone who is giving a public speech.
Anyone removing face covering for identification purposes.
And anyone who is part of a parish who has opted out of the mandate.
High incidence of COVID = 100 new cases per 100,000 people per 2 week period.
3 parishes are below that threshold, Grant, Red River, West Feliciana Parish.
Even if your parish opts out it is strongly encouraged that everyone wears a mask when outside the household. Just because these are the least affected parishes does not mean there is not COVID there. There is COVID-19 in every parish.
If you have are vulnerable you are always safest at home. (Those over 65, diabetes, obesity, etc.)
At the end of the day, while I know this will be unpopular and controversial with some, we know face masks work. It is that simple. The vast majority of the spread of this disease comes from people talking, sneezing, coughing, and the mask helps contain the virus from being spread to neighbors.
None of these steps were ones that I wanted to take, but they are essential.
Typically there is a 14-day lag between a change in behavior and when that change shows up in the numbers and there is an even longer lag time for the change in deaths. So we will not see any changes [from mandating masks or closing bars] in the near future.
(We have no reason to believe the numbers we have been reporting are going to get any better, they are likely to getworse.)
Bars have been proven to be hotspots for the spread of coronavirus. It may not be true for every bar, but it is true for many of them. Thanks to the many bar owners for complying with restrictions, this is not meant to punish anyone.
Identified at least 36 outbreaks from bars impacting over 400 people. We know that number is much higher. All of this has happened in Phase 2 when bars were opened. We also know that leading the spread in recent weeks has been a younger age group more likely to frequent bars. This age group continues to be a big driver of cases.
Younger people are spreading COVID19 to older people who are becoming ill in growing numbers.
Public health officials believe that bars have a higher risk than other businesses due to the social aspect, having to speak louder over music, keeping the mask off to drink, etc. Alcohol diminishes decision making.
I know this will be challenging and unpopular but it is necessary and the right thing to do under these circumstances. We cannot let this illness win. If you, like me, are interested in keeping most of our economy opened and not regrew back in phases, or open schools next month, these things (wearing a mask or closing bars) is a minor price to pay.
This should not be a political issue. Someone how there has been a political issue that has come up around masks. You will see that people of both parties will be stressing the absolute importance of wearing a mask.
Dr. Joe Canter (LDH)
At the end of the day this I about the perseveration fo human life.
Mask mandate follows CDC guidelines for high incidence.
High incidence of COVID = 100 new cases per 100,000 people per 2 week period
61 out of 64 parishes currently meet this definition.
3 parishes are below that threshold, Grant, Red River, West Feliciana Parish.
The level of COVID incidence is high in the overwhelming amount of parishes of Louisiana.
If you are battling a disease you need to know what you are fighting and where it is, which his what testing does. If you do more tests you will find more positives. When we look at cases we look at multiple measurements like percent positivity, which is increasing. The large spike at the end of March and April when CPR increases to 30% is when we were highly restrictive in who we tested which artificially inflated the percent positivity.
Over the last week, (Jun 22-July 5th asmeasured by date of collection, the percent of positivity was 15.3%. Highly concerning number.)
A lot of people who test positive are asymptomatic and spread it to their community or other family members.
Young adults aged 18-29 accounts for the largest grouping of COVID cases.
Over the past week or 2, we are seeing what we feared we would see which is further spread from younger adults to older individuals.
COVID has a real propensity to spread, we had no expectation it would stay within the 18-29 age bracket. The most recent data is now showing us that the virus is indeed spreading from those younger adults to older individuals.
**(In Phase 2 if you have a vulnerability, are increasing in age, or have a serious underlying medication condition, the risk to you and your personal health is greater and you need to think twice about the risk you take on.
Maybe you shouldn't go out. Maybe someone should make food for you.
Families should support these individuals.
Staying inside and distancing is the safer thing to do.)**
We have leading signs and lagging measures. Cases are on the leading sign and fatalities are on a lagging measure. We know that in Louisiana individuals who will die from COVID-19 become symptomatic 16 days before that fatality.
Concerned we will see increasing hospitalization and increasing deaths.
We have already doubled the number of patients hospitalized with COVID from the middle of June.
Differences between these two peaks are the first time around it was focused on New Orleans, shows the case growth to date without New Orleans. This is a statewide problem and we look similar to Florida or Texas were. We are not as far along but we need to turn this around.
The good news is we have already beaten this once we can do it again.
Dr. Neal of OLOL Regional Medical Center
We knew when we went to Phase 2 we would see a little more community spread resulting in a few more admissions so we were prepared for that.
We were not prepared for the steep escalation in hospitalizations we began to see 10 days ago and cases have not quadrupled.
We have too many people in our hospitals.
When our hospitals get full it is incredibly hard to care for everyone.
Of our patients that are in the hospital, 1/3 are in the ICU.
The youngest is 25 and had no medical conditions when they entered the hospital.
Patients in their 20s, 30s, 40s are in the ICU struggling for their lives.
This is a nightly occurrence in the hospital.
**(This takes a tremendous team to do that work and that team can no longer offer care to all those who need it.
Those that need for bypass surgery, joint replacement -- they haven't been able to walk in 6 months, or those that have a mass that may be a malignancy.)**
We cannot allow this in the community anymore, we have to be better stewards so the whole community is healthier from all of their illnesses, and not just COVID19.
We all need to wear masks by doing that we protect our community, each other, and our families. This is how we continue being safe in our homes and not wind up in the hospital as patients with COVID19.
Think about each and every interaction you have with another individual, keep your distance, try to have that interaction by Zoom, or by phone.
We know that this works, and we know that if you do it we can continue to provide everyone the continued quality of care we expect every day.
Dr. Rainey Winfield Sports Medicine Physician
Truly concerned about overwhelming the healthcare system as it exists today.
Seen COVID in all demographics.
Symptoms have evolved from 3 symptoms to 9 symptoms.
New symptoms in the Millenials of migraines headaches, stomach issues, and diarrhea.
Increased mental health issues in the community are being seen as well.
Assure you that the healthcare system cannot be successful unless the public plays its part by socially distancing, washing hands, and WEARING YOUR MASK
Mask wearing works. Respiratory droplets can go up to 12 ft so if you wear wearing a mask it protects those around you. We are in a position now that we are losing lives by something that can be prevented.
Take this seriously and listen to what is going on.
Gov. John Bel Edwards
Misspoke, this is in effect Monday morning not Tuesday as previously stated. It goes into effect at 12:01 AM Monday morning.
Shout out to the medical professionals. There has been no one who has stepped up as tremendously and it runs the entire gamut of the medical profession.
As Louisiana, we owe it to them to not overburden them.
We can prevent it, we have done it before. We do not need to go back to other Phases to do it. We need to follow the CDC and White House Guidelines to slow the virus.
Let's be good neighbors and realize we all have a role to play.
This opportunity will not last forever, now is our time. You cannot. wait till next week or next month or there will not be time left by then.
Questions
Is mask mandate for indoors only or outdoors as well. How will be it be enforced It is indoors and outdoors when you cannot be physically distanced from others. When you go into an office building or retail establish or restaurant etc unless you meet one of those exceptions that mask needs to be on. If you are outside and are in close proximity with others you need to have a mask on. This mandate applies to all locations. There are exemptions for individuals and those 3 parishes if they choose to opt-out. If they were to opt-out, CDC guidance does not change and everyone is encouraged to wear masks if they can. Businesses will be required to tell people they need to have a mask on. Businesses can accept a representation from someone saying they meet one of those categories of exceptions. Other than placing law enforcement officers at every building there is no way to do it. There is not a goal to go out there and write citations. We want people to comply. We want businesses to make the effort to put up the signs and if someone does not meet the exception and refuses to wear a mask and if they don't leave they are trespassing. The mandate applies to churches but we will not be enforcing it in churches. WE will not be writing up pastors or doing those things. They are encouraged to understand that that setting where people are there for over an hour it is important for those individuals to wear a mask. If you were to cite a business what would the penalty be? Is it a fine? If so how much? I'll get that answer to you. That will not be the first resort. When we go to a business we remind them of the requirements. The first efforts are always going to be to pressure compliance and not a fine. Will citations be for business owners or.. The owners. Will you be pulling back on elective surgeries The office of public health has not told me that that is something they are recommending right now. There are hospitals around the state who have different staffing issues and they may choose to make a different decision for themselves. This has not been raised to a statewide level where I, the governor, would need to consider that. There are 3 major issues hospitals are facing:
Testing turnaround times.
Remdesivir availability.
Staffing.
Medical exemptions for earring a mask. DO people need to carry a doctors note if they meet one of the exemptions Business owners have the right to ask you to put on the mask so if you have someone that can document that it would be good to have it on your person but owners are not required to ask you for that. Conditions that meet exemption for mask-wearing. Tiny minority fo people meet these.
Respiratory issues where wearing a mask puts you in danger.
Children are younger than 2.
Case by case basis.
**The larger point to be made, if you have a condition that you think makes it untenable to wear a mask, it is also likely the case that you are at increased vulnerability for COVID. You really need to look at your own risk profile and if it is worth doing the activities that you would like to do. [(Mod note: aka why are you going out if your respiratory function is that comprised that you cannot wear a mask)] In terms of casinos will they be limited Limitations only have to do with social gatherings, not businesses. Phase 2 occupancy requirements remain in place for commercial businesses. The only businesses that are affected by the new occupancy limitations are bars and event spaces. Why bars and not restaurants Data we have shows that restaurants do not pose the same risk of transmission as bars. Restaurants with bars in them can seat people at the bar as an extension of the seating area for the consumption of food. Does guidance apply to State employees Yes, both to employees and the general public entering a public building. Texas has begun to send ATF out to shut down businesses. We haven't issued any penalties it's more a warning system. Do you think this is working? Why not be stricter with enforcement Well, I just announced I am closing every bar. I do not know how to be more categorical than that. Last time I got an update we visited more than 3,100 commercial establishments. What I can tell you is that the vast majority of those were not out of compliance and if they were they got into compliance quickly. Likely it was something simple like employees wearing masks around their necks and not their faces. I have instructed that for repeat business offenders to start issuing citations so I believe you will start seeing that going forward. I've said from the very beginning a public health emergency of this nature if the people of Louisiana are going to insist that we enforce our way through it we will not be successful. We will continue to have people unnecessarily spreading this disease and then other people through no fault of their own, they may be the most responsible citizen out there, they may contract it because someone in their vicinity is choosing not to be a good neighbor. Then these individuals will go to the hospital and fill that bed and cause all of the problems for the hospital system and its providers, affecting not only the COVID community but anyone that's in need of medical service. To those people of Louisiana who say "well, we are not going to listen to any of that and we are going to make them enforce our way through it. Then we will be unsuccessful but I believe in Louisiana, we are better than that. Our people have always been good and resilient. We are faithful people. We know what it means to be a good neighbor. Now is a good time to be a good neighbor. If you don't like the mask mandate then don't like it, but wear your mask anyway if you are going to be out in public. If you want to criticize me, then criticize me. I understand this is going to be controversial. So be it. It the right thing to do. It's the essential thing to do. But don't sit back and say we will only be successful if we enforce our way through it. That is the wrong attitude. Can you talk about how the decision for the VP to come to Baton Rouge came to be and the testing issues that may be discussed? Many things made Louisiana an obvious place to come. We are back to #3 in the country for COVID19 cases per capita. They picked BR specific to do surge testing, one of 3 areas around the country to get above our baseline of 5,000 people. We haven't met that yet, but we are working towards it. Because of the steep increase in cases in BR but even steeper increase in positivity in BR. Louisiana has been on radar front and center for the White House Coronavirus Taskforce since the beginning. We have never come off their radar. I think that is. why he is coming here. While he is here he will talk about higher education and what we are doing to safely resume on-campus in-person instruction on time. What that mix of education of in-person and distance learning will look like. Plus LSU is the current national champion and he gets to come down be on that fine university. We will meet in a large space in the club on the south end of the stadium. Did you talk to Clay about the new mandate or the petition gaining speed because of this? I speak to lawmakers frequently and had the opportunity to talk to them specifically about the proclamation I am signing today. I make sure they are getting regular updates and they see the number and trajectory they are on. So by the time we make these decisions, it is in their mind that this is something we may do. Yes, I had the opportunity to speak with them. The first time we have a surge in the state there was an awful lot of people who said that only affected Orleans or Jefferson Parish and not us, but that is not the case today. This is literally statewide. The hottest area in the state is in Lake Charles and the second hottest is in Lafayette. I think the petition would be a tremendous mistake. For us to be the only state without a public health emergency when we are number 3 in the country cases per capita, our positivity is over 15%, we have the highest case growth we've had in the entire public health emergency, our hospitals are filling up again, and all the coordination and resources we need to make available, and all of the coordination we need to do with the Federal government, not to mention making sure we are able to take advantage that they can only send to Louisiana IF we have a declared public health emergency, and the ability to take advantage of the Stafford act? All that would be threatened by a silly partisan petition. They can do if they want but that would be a tremendous mistake and the people of Louisiana will pay a higher price. I urge members not to sign it and if they did sign it to have their names taken off of it.
Final Comments
We've been here before, we can get back on top of this and start driving cases down.
We all have a role to play.
Be a good neighbor.
Being a good neighbor means do not make that personal visit. You wear your face mask when you re outside your home and are in proximity to others who are in your household. Wash your hands often. Stay home when you're sick. Take care of those people whoa re especially most vulnerable.
You are safer at home always.
If you re out and about do not patronize a business that is not operating safely.
Pray for our state and our country.
Confident we will get through this.
It'll be easier and quicker if more people comply with what we are asking you to do.
Parishes that have a 5% positivity rate for 2 weeks can opt-in to on-premise alcohol sales.
Bienville
Jefferson Davis
Orleans
St. John the Baptist
Plaquemines
Summary
Storm entering the gulf (information is available above).
Moment of remembrance for September 11th.
Asks that people remember the sense of unity that we had post 9/11 we should be able to gain that unity without having that tragedy.
Restaurants, churches, salons, spas, gyms, and other businesses can open at 75% occupancy with social disgracing distancing required.
Bars have been closed for on-premises consumption. We have done what we can to help them realize revenue. Know there is still a number of them that are closed to on-premises consumption, want to provide a responsible framework for them to open as it is safe to do so. Looking at White House Taskforce guidance...
Bars will remain closed in parishes with a high incidence of COVID-19
As recommended by Coronavirus Taskforce.
Bars can open to on-premises consumption in.. parishes with a positivity rate of 5% or lower for 14 days if the parish gov opts-in. The two-week data is updated by the Dept of Health. The next update is on 9/16.
Bars can open with 25% capacity at 50 people total indoors.
Customers have to be seated for table-side only service.
Only 50 customers outdoors.
Social distancing required indoors and outdoors.
Outdoors have to be seated for service as well.
Live music still not allowed.
Sale and service of alcohol must end at 10 PM with patrons cleared by 11 PM.
Individuals younger than 21 are not allowed in a bar. 18-20-year-olds are not permitted in bars.
Other social gatherings indoors will be limited to 50% capacity with a max of 250 people with social distancing requirements.
Outdoor crowd sizes are limited to 50% capacity up to 250 people if people will be in close proximity and social distancing is not possible.
Casino limitations will not change under the new order. Casinos remain at 50% capacity / 75% of the gaming positions.
Sporting events will operate at 25% capacity with social distancing required and no alcohol sales.
Alcohol consumption at all venues will end at 10 PM.
Include restaurants, event centers, weddings, and casinos.
A statewide mask mandate remains in place.
CDC Recommendations remain in place for those at high-risk
should not go out, are safer at home, and should avoid large crowds unless they need to get food or medical care.
The order will be in place for 28 days expiring on Oct 9th.
Nothing will change for nursing home visitations.
Nursing home population remains at high-risk.
40% of all the fatalities in Louisiana from COVID-19 have occurred at nursing homes.
Congregate living --the type at nursing homes-- is where the virus spreads easier and these individuals with their age and comorbid health conditions are a higher risk of the virus and are more likely to have a poorer outcome.
LDH in consolation with CMS is working to finalize plans for a pilot program to see if we can allow for some visitation, specifically outdoor visitation. It would be a 28-day pilot program. Nursing homes will have to be located in parishes with 5% positivity or less and the home has to have 0 cases in the last 14 days to participate. Additional details to be provided.
People at the Department of Health are putting forth great effort to make sure we are doing this in a safe and effective way.
Data we are looking at when we look at the upper left we see COVID-like illness (people presenting to an ER with symptoms of COVID), below is a graph showing the volume of testing and organs bars show the percent positivity gray line is the 10% line, upper right is the epi curve (new cases remove every day by collection date) black line is the average of incidence over time, bottom right blue line is the hospitalizations and the organ line shows the last 14 days.
We always look at 14 days because that is the recommendation for the gating criteria from the White House.
COVID-like illness has been on a steady decline across every region since we had the mask mandate.
The testing graph shows the interruption that happened as a result of Marco and Laura, the state needed to redeploy its resources and its National Guard partners meaning we could not do community testing at the level we wanted. So you can see the decline from the week that represents the storm, and you are beginning to see a rebound from that due to our wonderful National Guardsmen redeploying our testing sites. However, we are not seeing the line come up very high very quickly.
The people of Louisiana need to know:
Testing is widely available.
Get tested if you have symptoms.
Get tested if you've been exposed.
Get tested if you evacuated due to Hurricane Laura.
As you can see the percent positivity has been declining, we are at about 6.79% right now, which is well below the 10% recommendation for the state.
The epi curve shows we have been on a steady decline since the mask mandate and bar closures.
More recently there has been an uptick in the state. Some of that reflects a decrease in testing with a new increase in testing and some of that reflects quite frankly new cases that we know are evolving in settings like universities and schools, but not over a 14 day period. We have not made that criteria of a 14 day period.
Hospitalizations have been on a steady decline since the new restrictions.
Strictly speaking, looking at the data we have met the criteria for moving into Phase 3.
However, there is data we don't see/know, that is what we need to be watching out for
Impact of Hurricane Laura
We had a week we didn't have visibility for because of decreased testing.
Frankly, there is not as much testing happening as we would like to see from shelterees and evacuees right now. We do not know if transmission of the virus has happened because we are not catching it because we not seeing people taking advantage of the testing.
Testing sites in Lake Charles and Sulphur.
Testing available at points of distribution.
Testing sites in New Orleans and Baton Rouge in hotels.
There is a significant amount of asymptomatic spread, please get tested and protect your family.
Schools reopening - the impact of K-12 going back to school and universities reopening. Part of that is because we paused testing and because people went back home and now they have returned to school.
We know not everyone has gone back to full in person.
Most have done hybrid learning.
Labor Day Weekend - because there hasn't been enough time.
Most people stayed home and celebrated with their household.
Some people didn't and we won't know the impacts until 2 weeks from now.
Hopefully, we will find people by large did what we asked. That cases and hospitalizations stay down because as you saw we have a very active Atlantic season right now. Not a good time for us to face multiple disasters as we have more COVID increase.
Another trend we are focused on is the increase in cases in the 18-29-year-old age group.
The sharp uptick in 18-21-year-old age group.
The age group that has gone back to school.
Still seeing that group come up even with bars closed.
Watch this very carefully especially as we talk about gatherings and football.
Saw last time that as this age group leads other age groups followed.
CDC released a report of childcare settings and infections of those that the child return home to.
Under the age of 21 we really do not want you in the bar setting. You should not be there. You are not of drinking age, and it brings you into a setting where you are at high risk for exposure.
COVID like illness is decreasing across the state. When we look at cases across the state it is a mixed bag. There are many regions across the state where we are seeing an uptick in cases but they do not meet the 14-day threshold.
Note Region 5 is difficult because it is the SW Louisiana and it is difficult because all numbers plummeted because of evacuation and as they return we would expect to see increases.
Concerned as we look at hospitalizations. Our biggest concern is being able to have adequate healthcare capacity to meet the needs of Louisiana.
Watching these trends closely.
As we move into Phase 3 and there are greater capacity in restaurants and some bars and operate in limited services. It is critical to remember that everything that has gotten us to this point still needs to be in place.
The physical distancing of 6 ft or more is really important.
When we call you and ask if you have been in 6 ft of someone for greater than 15 minutes... you will still be a potential contact and need to quarantine for 14 days if you have been exposed to a known positive COVID case for more Thant 15 minutes.
Continue to wear a mask. More and more data shows that people who are shedding the virus mask usage reduces the risk you spread the tother people. You protect other people by wearing a mask and other people protect you by wearing their mask.
Questions
Do you have any idea how many parishes are below 5% or less? 5 out of 64 parishes. Mechanically does the 2 week period become effective today or does it become effective on the 16th? As the governor noted we will be updating this, we have been providing these updates and will provide the next one on the 16th. First, the parish has to make 2 (2-week checks at 5% positivity or less so 4 weeks total, and then the parish government has to opt-in. What does the nursing home pilot program look like? What you will see us talking about, is decreasing becomes less relevant than what is going on in the community. The percent of positivity is especially important. What is the level of spread in your community? So for the nursing home pilot we are looking at a low community spread so probably 5% or less in the community. We are also working with nursing homes to establish protocols where people are outdoors. People are wearing PPE and it has to be a pretty nicely mandated visitation where you know who and when someone is coming, being symptomatic, isolated, or quarantined for COVID-19 will all be reasons to not see your loved one. Out of the 5,000 Louisianians, we have lost so far 40% have been from nursing homes. As we look to have families reunite we must do this in a way to not put your loved ones at risk. Not only your loved one but those in the rest of the facility as well. John Bel Edwards
A parish has to be eligible so they have to be at the 5% below the threshold for at least 2 weeks.
Data is publicly available on the LDH website.
Parish has to opt-in.
If at some point subsequent to opting in a parish gets to 10% or higher in positivity then those bars will close again. Then it starts over again and they will have to satisfy the gating criteria again.
Otherwise, you would reopening and closing bars within a few days or so, so this is a way to do this responsibly and safely under the control of the local government.
Today's COVID-data
We've had some positive trends that allowed just to make these moves but I have a concern about what isn't reflected in the data which is why this has been the most difficult decision I had to make with respect to applying the gating criteria to the phasing.
Encourage people to take mitigation measures seriously.
As we reopen more of the economy/our churches, to more occupancy, these things only really work if we continue to wear our masks. Wash your hands frequently. Stay home when sick. Socially distance from that outside for your household
Outdoors is safer than indoors.
If you want to support restaurant pick up, get delivery, or eat outdoors.
People need to understand there isn't a lot of room for movement forward beyond Phase 3 until we get past the pandemic.
Until such time social distancing isn't required how do you go to 100% occupancy?
We do not go from 75% to 100% until the pandemic is over.
Hurricane Laura Info Mod note I am not covering this but if you would like me to please message me.
Questions
Missed question I am concerned about the impact Labor Day will have. Experienced the beginning of the Summer with Memorial Day. We Know that is when we had a surge in cases driven by the younger population, particularly those in the 18-29-year-old group. I hope behavior would be different for Labor Day because everyone saw the impact that behavior had on our state. Dr. Birx was talking about, the White House was talking about it. I am hopeful that won't happen again. I am relieved we are increasing our testing numbers again and having more testing sites coming up and will be watching the data very closely. I am mindful that we have started school. Colleges' campuses have also opened to students. But am comforted that there is still a lot of virtual and hybrid learning occurring. We do not have a lot of school systems fully open for in-person instruction. I believe Louisiana will do what is needed to protect one another from having a repeat of what happened after Memorial Day. Is there some scenario where we have those Labor Day numbers come in and they are so bad you change your mind and we go back? There is always [that possibility], whether because of Labor Day or anything else, you watch the numbers. We will not put ourselves on a course where we lose the ability to deliver life-saving care in our hospitals. It didn't happen in the first or second surge and I will not let it happen going forward. Yeah it certainly remains possible, but I am hopeful we will not get anywhere close to that, but if we have to we will. I have said this all along. That is why we keep making the point -- it is not a theory anymore -- we had that huge surge in March and April and we were able to flatten the curve through a stay at home order but, we have shown reducing our curve is not reliant on having to have a stay at home order if people wear their masks, wash their hands, and social distance. You can have a larger portion of your economy open and have and much normalcy as possible without the cases skyrocketing if you adhere to the mitigation measures. It is up to the people of Louisiana to adhere to them. I have a lot of concerns. Anytime you announce you are going to the next phase people tune out all the info they are given that COVID is still here, that abiding by mitigation measures, protecting the vulnerable, all of that stuff and some people will say well we are going forward and that is all they think about. That mindset is what causes us to have real issues as well. Need people to mindful. I ask local leaders to set good examples so we can stay on top of this virus and keep trends going in the right direction. Will Phase 3 have any impact on the state workforce in respect to the public sector In order to make sure all sate employees are working where they can be most efficient and productive in the safest possible way. Where you have offices, for example, cannot be at 100% so some of those people will continue to be home. Some agencies work in office spaces that are less traditional where it is harder to work safer in that environment while people on wildlife and fisheries are on a boat and in a safer environment.
Closing remarks
Thank you for continuing to cover this.
If you look at the Gulf of Mexico to the West Coast of Africa you will see a number of storm systems most of which do not pose a threat to Louisiana. The one off of the coast of Florida does, and too soon to know about the coast of Africa. It will be very difficult for our state if we have to go through another hurricane in our present posture where we have people already sheltered from the last storm which we are still trying to recover from.
Lift each other in prayer.
Be good neighbors.
Do what is required of us to protect ourselves, family, and one another.
The summary is transcribed live, maybe paraphrased, and will contain spelling and grammatical errors until I am able to edit it once the press conference ends.
Summary
As of noon today we report 1,345 new cases for a Toal of 127,246 COVID-19 cases in Lousiana.
Cases are from 15,105 tests. 94% of today's cases were from community spread and 94% were collected int the past week.
There are 1,457 COVID-19 positive patients currently hospitalized, this is a decrease of 14 from yesterday's and is the 5th day there has been a decline in hospitalizations.
We hit a death milestone today surprising 4k deaths, with 50 new deaths reported today for a total of 4,028.
We have seen sustained improvements in regards to cases, hospitalizations, and case positivity. They are all too high but it beats the trajectory we were previously on since Memorial Day. We are doing better but have some work left to do.
We completed Surge testing in EBR parish sponsored by HHS at 56,711 tests were administered.
Fixed sites will remain in Lake Charles, Lafayette, and Alexandria while supplies last.
New Orleans now has surge testing open and will continue past next Friday.
Everyone who got tested was able to receive a mask and they were educated by the Department of Health on how to protect themselves and their communities from COVID.
These are the only sites that allow people to be tested without symptoms in Louisiana and we saw many asymptomatic got tested and found out they were positive.
Estimates are between 25-40% of people who get COVID will be asymptomatic, which is what makes this pandemic so hard to control because asymptomatic people are less likely to be tested and more likely to transmit the disease to others because they do not know they are infectious.
Mask is a proxy for a test result.
If you have COVID symptoms or been exposed to someone with COVID get tested. Call your doctor. Call 2-1-1 to find a test site with you.
Dr. Gina Laguard of Regional Medical Director of Region 9 / Northshore
Collectively Northshore makes up 12% of the state's population with over a 500,000 population the Northshore is home to both rural and urban living.
COVID is widespread on the Northshore and in all five Northshore parishes.
The cases and deaths from the Northshore represent 10% of the states.
All of the Northshore parishes Are higher than the federal threshold.
However, mitigation efforts are showing that the incidence of COVID is decreasing.
Percent positivity in all 5 parishes is above the Federal Threshold, but at least 2 of the parishes have shown a decrease in case positivity.
The age group that accounts for the majority of cases increases is 18-29 years of age.
Hospitals have the capacity, they have beds, ventilators, and PPE. However, their biggest challenge is staffing.
With community spread the people who work int he hospital are exposed and they too have fallen ill. Not all of it is COVID, keep in mind there are still other illnesses in the population.
I am hopeful in the region we will continue to work tirelessly to test the residents and work closely with parish leadership to provide the best testing, but it is becoming a challenge with limitations we have and the amount of the strike teams we have.
Right now we are working with National Guard, LCMC, and Oschner. We had two surge sites one in Livingston and Tangipahoa and were able to test over 1,400.
9,100 people have been tested in the community with the 178 tests per day.
Work closely with the hospitals to ensure they have what they need to deliver services.
Work with leadership to make sure mitigation measures are in place.
"Slow the pace. Cover your Face."
It's not too much to ask to wear a mask.
It is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce the spread of COVID.
Mandates may affect how we live, learn, work, worship, socialize but they are necessary to curb the spread of the disease.
This is a collective effort. We must work together to reduce the spread of COVID.
Shows a picture of her 63-year-old cousin Nadine.
Nadine was retired from Loyola after 30 years of work experience but rejoined the work market.
March 9th was the first case in Louisiana. 7 days later Nadine became symptomatic.
She lived in New Orleans but it was atypical symptomology.
Her presentation was initially GI symptoms and we did not know that association at the time.
5 days later she was in the emergency room, the next day she was intubated and on April 3rd she passed away. She tased away on her son's birthday and 23 days before her 64th birthday.
So I'm sensitive when some feel they lost their sense of freedom. So when I hear people say it is my right not to wear a mask and congregate in large groups. What about my right to live? What about your right? I understand, but it is about doing what we know is right. Doing what we know is right and doing the right things. Wearing a mask might have saved my cousin. It was before we knew this. Avoiding large crowds and socially distancing may have saved my cousin. We know from contact tracing we have been able to track her exposure to possibly a gathering were others had symptoms at that time. Or maybe it was exposure at work. We know these mitigation efforts work. Masks are cheap. Five dollars is the economic impact of that mask, and if worn properly it reduces the spread of COVID, versus the cost of hospitalizations -- the cost of death -- the years of life lost?
When you look at the workforce 18-60 we've had over 1,400 deaths those are years of lives lost too soon. That was our workforce.
For those that have had COVID, we know that some still have issues with their lungs, kidneys, neurological systems. There is a cost to that. Especially to the healthcare system.
We ask that you wear a mask. That's simple. We ask that you avoid large crowds. That's easy. We ask that you physically distance at least 6 feet. How easy is that? We ask that you wash your hands and frequently disinfect common surfaces and stay at home and better yet stay at home if you re not well. These are simple asks to help reduce the spread of COVID in our state.
I wish my cousins had that opportunity to wear a mask, I wish we knew what we knew know and had restrictions on gathering sizes and knew about social distancing. We've learned a lot about COVID from March 9th to now but 1,400 deaths today? We can do better as a state.
I'm hopeful because our numbers are improving showing these migration measures are working.
Please mask up. Socially distance. Continue hand hygiene and disinfect surfaces.
Stay home if not well.
I worry about the children beginning school this week. They have the right to got to school and not have parents, staff, and faculty worry about the high cases of COVID in our community.
Giv. John Bel Edwards
If you have any doubts about the mitigation measures working just look at the data.
You can see it was about 2 weeks after the mask mandates and restrictions that we began to turn around the numbers and it has been consistent at least up to now.
When people hear we are doing better they think they can lift up on doing what they are doing, but we are doing betterbecauseof adherence. We know that if everyone wore a mask, washed their hands, stayed home when sick we would see a much larger impact on our numbers.
A reminder that we remain in the red zone as determine the day the White House Taskforce.
Some of you have heard of the verdict from Judge Janice Clark held in place the restrictions and mitigation measures. This is not the last legal challenge but I am confident that I am doing what is necessary. We are following the science. We are following the data. We are implementing best practices and recommendations from the CDC and White House Taskforce. I am doing with the authority I have as Governor, as I am authorized to do by the Constitution and Statutory Law of Louisiana, to respond to this Public Health Emergency. I am not just authorized, because we are talking about lives I am obligated to do these things as well.
It does not make it easy. It is absolutely essential. It is legal. We know without any doubt it is effective. This is not an academic exercise, it is not theoretical. We know it works.
We still have significant work to do in Louisiana, as we remain at No 1 per capita in the United States.
More than 2.5% of our state's population has been infected and that's just confirmed cases we know there are a lot more individuals who have had it and never were tested.
If we want as much of our economy to be open as possible -- but safely, our schools -- but safe, if we want to be able to engage in as much normalcy as possible... it is the mitigation measures that will allow this to happen.
We can get to a transmissions rate of <1 without Phase 1 or stay-at-home but it requires everyone doing their part -- that is what the modeling shows. We are on that track now if we can maintain it long enough to get below 1. If everyone would do their part we would see much more dramatic results and more quickly.
Title 3 which deals with the National Guard will stay in place until the end of the year.
They are a key part of our strategy.
From receiving, warehousing, distribution of PPE, ventilators, testing, going out to nursing homes as part of strike teams, you name it.
While we are excited to hear it will be extended to the end of the year we are upset to hear that we along with other states will have to pay 25% of the costs until the end of the year, while two states, Texas and Florida will not.
I do not begrudge these states but I will tell you there is not a rational basis to distinguish Louisiana between those two states when we have ridden the crest of both the first and second surge as evidenced by the fact we have more cases per capita than any other state. So I will be working through the Congressional Delegation to re-urging the White House to extend that 100% coverage to Louisiana.
The 25% cost share is about 2.5 million a month so we are talking about a little more than 10 million dollars. So it is not an insubstantial amount of funding.
WorkSearch has been implemented by the Louisiana workforce commissions.
Understands there is considerable anxiety because the $600 federal benefits have expired, know the state benefit is $247 a week and people cannot survive on that
It is time to get those who can back into a job and find work.
There are several thousand jobs available in Louisiana so that is what we are trying to do now.
Each week in order to recetrtify the individual will have to share the 3 employers that were contacted and no jobs were available.
It is also being done because we are concerned about the state's unemployment trust fund.
That trust fund started out with 1.1 billion dollars and is now down to 270 million today and we cannot pay benefits if it is solvent.
We need to either cross the threshold whereby the law increases the payroll tax on employers or employers have a surcharge.
Either way that's a functional tax increase and we do not want to do that. So we are asking for help from the Congressional Delegation and National Governors Associations and directly with the White House in order to get their assistance on this matter.
WorkSearch is back in place. Does not affect people whose employment isn't available because of the restriction that has been imposed due to COVID 19 or an employee who has COVID-19.
Critically important to the state's economy that people enter the workforce.
Census response rate lags the national average. If we do not get more people to respond there will be a price to pay for Louisiana. 2020census.gov to fill it out or can call 844-330-2020 to complete your Census.
Questions
Now that you won in court do you intend to crackdown, not he BBQ restaurant in Denham Springs? Yes. We will share that information with you when it is appropriate. When will that be? When it is appropriate. Do you think there will be leftover funding from the CARES Act or Business Grant Program in a time period that could keep the unemployment trust fund solvent? I do not see in the portion of the CARES Act that we dedicated to local government. There is a certain amount, of the 1.8 billion we received it was my recommendation that 45% of the 1.8 billion be reserved for local government. The house went more or less with that, but then did fund $300 million for the Main Street program, and then a smaller allocation for Front Line Workers. We believe that will be completely exhausted and I do not know if money will be left in the Mainstreet Program. I haven't received a report yet and I think it would premature to guess. They will not begin to issue checks until Aug 15, and I do not know how many applications they received, nor how many qualify. We will know by the end of the month, and it could potentially be there at the end of the month. But even if it is there that money would not tie us over for very long. So the assistance we need in Phase 4 of the Coronavirus Relief that is currently being negotiated is critically important for us. We are communicating this with our Congressional Delegation and there have been a number of conversations with the Speaker discussing multiple ways we could replenish that trust fund. On August the 3rd we put $12 million dollars in the trust fund from taxes fro the quarter. It is just not enough to meet the demand with the claims we have. Other states have banned smoking in casinos because they are concerned people are taking their masks on and off, has that been discussed here? I believe that was first discussed in Louisiana as far as I know right now when you just brought it up. My first impression is that makes some sense, but I hate to think out loud because sometimes you get in trouble. I think New Orleans and East Baton Rouge may be the only places where smoking is banned in casinos. That is something I will give some consideration to, but I am not making an announcement today. You've been hesitant to discuss football, have you had a discussion with their administration? I have. I have had discussions with their athletic director and most people love LSU football but we have football programs across the state. I have had an opportunity to discuss with Scott Woodward, the LSU Athletic Director, and they are planning for multiple contingencies with what they will be able to do safely in regards to the number of people they can put in the stands for a football game. They do not know what that will look like yet, and I do not know what that will look like yet. Obviously you cannot wait to make that discussion until game day, we will meet with other schools to determine how far in advance they need to know. They are looking at ways to get people in and out of the stadium in and out of restrooms, receive concessions, without having people grouping together. Will need to see where we are in terms of the data to inform what we can safely do here in Louisiana when football resumes. The good news is we have some additional time because they backed up the return of the season. A number of local bars are applying for temporarily conditional restaurant licenses so they can continue to operate and keep their doors open and a reduced capacity. Can you explain from a public health standpoint why a bar with a newly acquired temporary conditional restaurant license is safer than a bar that does not Because they have to operate as a restaurant. All the rules that apply to restaurants today will apply to them in terms of the 50% occupancy limit, the need to social distance people who are not in the same household, more than 1/2 of the income must be derived from food sales and not alcohol sales. So they would function like a restaurant which would make them safer. Another indication of the efforts we are making is to allow as many of these bar owners as much flexibility as possible so we are not just leaving them the option of pick up or drive-thru sales. Or allowing them to have 2 video poker machines open if they had inside, but it also allows them to function as a restaurant if they are able to do that. They are receiving these permits very quickly so they can get into operation and realize some income as soon as possible. It will be safer because all of their patrons will have to be seated, to distance, and so forth... its something we are doing in an effort to allow as many of these establishments to remain open as possible, but to do so in a safe manner. Is there a recommendation/protocol about how many cases college and university campuses can have without having to reduce people from campus? They are working hard with the Department of Public Health and the CDC to work with education leaders both K-12 and higher education, to determine what to do when there is a case and if there are multiple cases and so forth. We can all assume there will be cases. You cannot have the cases we have across Louisiana, resume school, and not have some of these cases show up in your universities or K-12 schools. It really depends on how many cases, if they are in the same classroom, same dormitory, etc. All of these things are being looked at. I can tell you just recently our higher education community completed tabletop exercises, and a result of lessons learned there they have now gone back and revised their plans and will continue to do that as they learn from one another, and as guidance from the CDC changes. Will you report data based on outbreaks/cases on educational campuses? I don't know. I am not sure what means we have to capture that information, but certainly, what we have we will share. We are not going to hide it from anyone. Before I say yes I want to make sure we can capture that through the means we have in place to update you every day, or if additional things need to go into place. I do not know if it will be a situation where I ask you to direct those questions to the particular educational systems and universities while we report the universal numbers. We will get back to you on that. Is there a point you will use your authority as governor to limit on-campus instruction I do not intend to have to do that because we know K-12 are doing everything they can to deliver an education that goes along with CDC guidelines. So it is not something I believe I will have to do. Higher educational students, especially vulnerable, will do online or hybrid education. So with everything, they plan to do and oversee.... what they are doing came up they from the Department of Health in consolation with the CDC guidelines. So I do not believe it will be necessary for me to step in. Shreveport reports its third death of MIS-C? The medical community trying to determine if that is just what COVID looks like in certain kids, or whether it is a separate medical condition that is tangental to COVID. We've had a number of deaths, but not like the 4,000 from COVID from around the state. So we are obviously concerned about that. It is further evidence that children are not immune to this disease. They are much less likely to have a serious illness, but it does still happens. We see sometimes a young person will get COVID-19 and have a bad result even though there is no identifiable co-morbid condition. It is not the rule, it is very much the exception, but it is evidence that children are not immune. This is why we must make certain the kids are as safe as possible which is one of the reasons why the CDC guidelines are important --- that kids socially distance, have masks, do no co-mingle, they stick to their cohort. That this starts form the moment they get on the bus to the moment they get home. It is critically important we do this if we are going to get children safely back in the classroom.
Closing Remarks
This public health emergency will be with us for some time. Unfortunately, there is a new normal and the mask is part of that. Socially distancing is part of that. Washing your hands is part of that. Staying at home when sick is part of that. I am asking everyone to do their part.
Understand the progress we have started to see over the past 8-10 days is positive, but we can lose it. If we do what we did after Memorial Day we will lose it. But, if more people adhere to the mitigation measures we will accelerate improvements and they will be long-lasting. We can get to a transmission rate of <1 so the disease is on the way out if we just all engage in the measures. We can do it without having to be more restrictive.
We have a long way to go but I am optimistic we will get there. We flattened the curve once before and we can do it again.
We just need to double down on these proven effective mitigation measures and restrictions and if we can just all o that we will be in a much better place. We will have fewer people getting this disease. Fewer people going to the hospital, and we will have fewer people dying. And that's the quintessential way to be a good neighbor 😏 (mod note: he actually smirked) to just do something that is modest request of you that hardly constituents a burden at all if it means fewer people get sick and fewer people die.
Fear and Loathing in Beaumont, Texas - TDY Edition
This one is a doozy... So, a fateful day around 2010ish I was in that dingleberry of a swampy butthole of land known as Fort Polk doing my train up for a deployment. That's a fucking story in itself. Anyhow, the end of the rotation had occurred, the war against whatever made up name country was won, and we were returning from Polky-land to our dependapotamuses. I was on a contact high as I was personally selected to be a part of my Battalion Commander's personal security detachment and all our joes were hand-selected by the Platoon Leader, Platoon Sergeant, and myself so we had a really awesome platoon. How awesome? When we did an escort mission with the Chaplain meeting with local religious leader, at the end, our division chaplain told us that "You guys fucking rocked that shit. Gave me a fucking hardon. That's what this division is all about. Fuck yeah." Preach on brother. Fast forward, fast forward. Anyhow, my Platoon Sergeant came to me and told me I needed to go to the bay where my Commander and First Sergeant were. My first thought was of deep consideration and reflection. "Shit." This can't be good. When I arrive, my First Sergeant's first question to me "Do you have government travel card?" I nodded a confirmation from our Operation BS in Egypt. He looks at me and says "No, you don't." What fucking Jedi mindtrick is this? Did I forget to pay off a debt? Will I be summoned straight to the Division CSM for a beheading as seems to be the operating procedure whenever government travel cards payments come into question. Casually, my commander slides a brigade memorandum towards me and motions for me to read it. I start reading and realize it's a tasking memorandum stating what each company will provide from brigade. Alpha Company... Two NCOs and three soldiers. "Suckers." Bravo Company... Three soldiers. "Nerds." Charlie Company... Three E6 NCOs. "Lol, loooossers..." Delta Company... Staff Sergeant Pickleindabutt. "well fuck me in the butt." BY NAME?! I was the only fucking individual chosen by MY GOD DAMN FULL NAME in this memorandum. How does brigade even know I exist? Why am I being tasked directly? Who put this memo together and how the fuck did they know my name. Who the fuck volun-told my name without me receiving a whisper of such curse. Suddenly it dawned on me and I realized what this tasking needed me for. "hazmat" Apparently I was the only person in brigade who could effectively fill out the forms for our HAZMAT containers. It started where I was just doing it for the company, moved to me declaring for battalion, and now BRIGADE is tracking me. AMO-62 qualification got me again and I was hand selected because my paperwork was the only one that kept getting cleared so they came after me. My dudes and dudettes, I literally volunteered for this course to get me out of a field exercise so I could watch the SEC championship - no shit. I was a dumb grunt and I didn't even know what the course was and just wanted to get my Roll Tide on. I get there for class and they're like "This is for declaring hazardous material for shipment by land, sea, air, teleportation pods, Skynet time travel, and rail." My dumb ass E5 self was like "Lol, when the hell does any infantry dude declare HAZMAT. Cake." A week later I was declaring HAZMAT for my brigade to Haiti so shows how well I could foreshadow things. You know how my paperwork always made it through? Let's break down the process. Me arrive. Me find MSDSs for hazmat. Me find civilian inspector who is overshadowing the process. "Yo, how do you want me to fill this out." Everyone else would be digging around the CFR 49 and I was just like "Lol, I can't read. Let me find the civilian who makes a career of this and ask them." And that's how I became the HAZMAT guy. Fast forward, fast forward. So now I'm part of a tasking that is ensuring our containers make it out of Beaumont, Texas. I already came to Polk on advance parties where I basically had AT&T screaming at me to stop using data while I watched all the episodes of Breaking Bad that was available at the time. Now I'm not even the rear detachment, I'm the past - I'm on fucking ice basically, a forgotten artifact of my brigade's Polk rotation. "Yall remember that one Staff Sergeant?... He told funny jokes... Whatever happened to him? I seem to recall him telling his soldiers to run over g-men at Polk whenever they surrounded his humvee while blatantly ignoring that a 50 cal was rocking them the whole time and then he just... vanished." Fast forward, fast forward. Me and two others will be grabbing a rental and driving to Beaumont. God damnit, I deploy in a few weeks and I'm already getting less time with my succubus future exwife that has a spending habit that makes Target wet thinking about it. Anyway, they move me to the brigade's bay. If you've never been to Polk, they have these hangers where they just stick a metric-fuck-ton of bunk beds when you're field rotation is over and you're either leaving or preparing for war with the g-men. The g-men are the Louisiana equivalent of Taliban and should never be trusted. They call themselves soldiers but they are the true enemy. While you're sludging through the swamps and wondering if you're in Vietnam, they come out of no where with their significantly enhanced miles laser gear and somehow your miles can never kill them. You just hear the beep of death of your gear to inform you that traitorous scum g-men nailed you. Probably for killing a Staff Sergeant they get a three day weekend or something. So, here I am in the brigade headquarters and we just acquired a rental car with a fellow NCO and fresh out of the officer-oven Lieutenant. Lieutenant asks a fateful question "You guys want to go off base." Unfortunately I came to fight the g-men and did not know I was going to be traveling so I had no civilian clothes. So, we agree to go to Wal-Mart in town so I can buy the cheapest of the cheap threads since my wife at the time absolutely had to buy "live, laugh, love" useless items from retail stores at an alarming rate. Listen to me, Polk is the middle of no where. It is a fucking swamp. I hated going there. I literally would shake the hands of people stationed there and tell them "You're in my thoughts and prayers." The place has a random wild horse herd and farm animals all over the place because people just dump their animals there. I had never left the base before and when we drove off I was basically like "Oh my..." It was like driving into a Flannery O'Connor novel but with strip clubs. There is absolutely nothing in Leesville but several strip clubs, a Wal-Mart, some shitty steakhouse, and trailers. Listen, I'm from Alabama and I was even like "Fuck. This isn't even deep south this is deepest south." So anyway, I buy the literal cheapest threads from Wal-Mart for my journey to Beaumont and we decide to go into one of the strip clubs for a few drinks and... holy shit, this place was the most Jabba the Hutt's palace experience I have ever had except instead of Leia they had Jaba on the poles. I quietly order a beer, get propositioned for a backroom dance from a human opossum and could only quietly respond "No thank you I'm Christian" in an attempt to ward off others, and wonder how the fuck am I going to get this LT to drink his beer faster so we can fucking leave. Fast forward, fast forward. We finally arrived to Beaumont and check in our hotel. I'm suffering from a wicked hangover from the night before in Lake Charles which had about 10 women for each male at the bar we went to. When we get to the hotel, we all agree that we just want to get some food and the clerk recommends this Cajun themed restaurant down the road. We go there and there were no tables but three open seats at the bar so we chose that. As always, Army guys are only just going to talk about the fucking Army so we proceed with our usual dose of bitching and whinnying. Suddenly, this older gent leads forward sitting beside us and says "YALL IN THE SERVICE?!" "Sure 'nuff." "YALL DEPLOYED!?" "We have and we're heading back to Iraq in a few months." "FOOD AND DRINKS ON ME - BARTENDER, SHOTS OF TEQUILA FOR ALL OF US AND MY MISSUS" "That's not necessary sir we-" "SHUT THE FUCK UP. FOOD - DRINKS ON ME." And that's how I met who I will refer to as Chief. I call him Chief because later he told me he was a Navy veteran and later he told me he was a Seal - like 98% of Navy veterans you meet. Chief had his lovely girlfriend with him and was the loudest fucking Texan in a bar full of Texans. He was pretty funny but mind you I'm still dealing with this wicked hangover and really just wanted sleep. We eat our respective meals and have a few more shots and beers. "WHAT'S YOUR PLANS TONIGHT!?" "We're tired so we were just goin-" "NOT IN MY TOWN ON A FRIDAY NIGHT. YOU BOYS ARE MEETING UP WITH ME." "That's really not neces-" "YOU HAVE TO TAKE MY OFFER BECAUSE I PAID YOUR MEALS AND DRINKS AND YOU'D BE DICKS IF OTHERWISE, MEET ME AT CHILI'S." Well, fuck. Fair point. We ended up driving to this random Chili's after exchanging texts with them and shit. My LT is all worked up and excited like a puppy because he's hoping they're a rich couple who want to rain down upon us the riches of the world for THX 4 UR SERVICE. I'm more in the tune of thought that they're swingers and probably want untie one of our balloon knots in some heated up sexcapade. All the sudden, this SUPED the fuck up Mustang pulls up beside us. "HEY YALL SEEN SOME ARMY DOUCHEBAGS!?" as the window rolls down. "I'm sorry, we're not like submarines or Marines, you can't go down on us sir." "HA! LET'S SEE IF THAT PIECE OF SHIT CAN KEEP UP" "It's a fucking rental Dodge of course it won't-" his Mustang goes flying off 2 Fast 2 Furious style. The Lieutenant is driving as I watch this Mustang Toyko-fucking-drift into the highway. "Slow down and ask him the location by text. I don't want to die on the road." So Chief proceeds to text us the location of where they are heading. And of course, strip club. We pull up and it's about the nicest fucking strip club I have ever seen. Polar opposite to that fucking swamp trailer we had seen before. I'm walking in my Wal-Mart bin threads clothes like "Fuck I'm not dressed for this shit." There's another couple with Chief now who introduce themselves to us. They're roughly around his age and married. Oh yeah, we are totally in a swinger situation. One of us is going to have to pay the dues and it isn't me. We walk in and sit down at this table and this place is two stories. Huge. Multiple dancers everywhere. "ALL DRINKS ON ME, YOU WANT A DANCE, PUT IT ON MY CARD." He then proceeds to pull out $300 in ones and shuffles them to each of us so we total $100 each. Dude. WTF is this. Then he proceeds to buy a tray of jello shots and puts that on the table. At this time, a Mafiaso looking dude walks up to us in a nice suit. "Thank you for getting the VIP section. Just so you're aware, you will have to purchase a $500 dollar bottle of champagne or a $1000 bottle." What. The. Fuck. We're in the VIP section of this club? Holy shit, how much does that cost? Here I am dressed in clothes that probably in total cost $17.67 and about to be drinking a bottle of $500 champagne. "I DON'T WANT CHAMPAGNE! I WANT SOME REAL LIQUOR!" Gents and gentettes, I proceed to watch this man argue with the owner that he wants Captain Morgan over champagne. I am now at a loss of processing this TDY adventure. Finally the owner agrees to Captain Morgan but it will still cost $500 dollars. He agrees. I just witnessed a man pay $500 dollars for a bottle of Captain Morgan. That I am almost positive that we never opened. I shit you not. I am holding back on throwing this dude's cash around because I'm still worried about the whole swinger aspect and them getting some soldier butthole later in the night when the festivities end. Fast forward, fast forward. Night ends. We bid our farewells to Chief and his friends. None of us was required to fuck one of them. Other NCO didn't drink at all so he drives us back to the hotel so we can finally crash. We do. TDY adventure now can get official and we can focus on our containers like professionals... Hold fast. Rewind, rewind. It's a Saturday. We don't have shit we can do. I'm awoken early in the morning by a knock at my door in which I answer and the Lieutenant is standing there with Chief on speaker yelling about jet-skis or some shit. wat? "He said he told you that we were going on his boat today." Umm.... negative. "MEET ME AT THE DOCKS" Chief yells on the phone and hangs up. So, we ended up meeting them at whatever lake is near Beaumont and let me tell you what... I would have given up my butthole for the amount of fun we had on his boat and jet skis. Jesus Christ, that was one of the funnest days of my life. I had never ridden a jet ski before but was going nuts on it. In less than two hours of meeting up with him, I'm driving a jet ski for the first time in my life trying to keep up with his fucking boat so I don't lose him. I don't really have much to add to that but god damn jet skis are amazing. Fast forward, fast forward. So we get the boat back to the dock and, in case I didn't mention, it was Chief, his girlfriend, and the other couple I mentioned before. I hear them talking about going to some boat casino with a Jack Daniels restaurant. Chief's friend keeps telling me they make a steak that is so good you will want to "fuck it on the floor to relieve your erection" which I believe is a high compliment. They get ready to leave and we bid our farewells. "THE FUCK ARE YALL TALKING ABOUT, SEE YOU THERE." Well okay, I guess we're going to a boat casino lol wtf. We go to a casino and they park the boat at the docks. I proceed to watch these fools drop mad money after eating a steak that I'm not sure I would call floor fucking worthy but pretty damn good. They then proceed to go nuts on the gambling. I mean fucking leaving me at their table with like $1,000 dollars so they could take a quick piss and I don't even gamble so I just stood there like a lost child. At one point, I notice Chief is missing so I decide to go check his boat. Lo and behold, there he is swimming in the dock with his boat blaring music loud as fuck. As I am walking towards the concert, there is literally a party of people dancing to his music outside of a hotel room on a balcony. I walk down and he's climbing back in. About this time, the other NCO from my merry band of adventurers walks up to. Chief asks what service-members carry now in the Army and proceeds to pull a glock out of his boat glove compartment. Alrighty now... I don't really care much for someone to be intoxicated and holding a gun. "Hey you should probably put-" BANG Mother. Fucker. Fucking. Fuck. FUCK. He totally just fired a round into the water. We are at a god damn casino and on the casino property. We are so about to taken the fuck down into depths of hell that I have never seen before. That dancing crew that I mentioned early, they're gone. Andddddd here comes security. Two behemoths of security guards heading our way. Once again, I go into the fucking zone and start walking towards them. "HEY DID SOMEONE FIRE A GUN OVER HERE!?" "Hey brother, that shit scared the fuck out of me." "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" "It must have been like a boat backfire or something. I thought for sure it was a gunshot at first. I think the water made it sound weird. Scared the fuck out of me." "How do you know it wasn't!?" "Oh I'm in the Army bro. That shit made me think someone was shooting at us." "Oh... Okay... You cool?" "Yeah, I'm good man. Just spooked me." "You need a drink? On the house if nee-" "Nah, I'm good man. Thank you though. Have a nice night." And that's how I avoided being taken into casino prison. Fast forward, fast forward. We bid our farewells and return back to the hotel. Sunday I get a call from Chief's friend who I will refer to as "Victor" calls me and asks if we would like to get a few Sunday beers. We agree and meet at this chill local bar and are just shooting the shit. District Attorney for the area happen to be sitting in there and buys us rounds. God damn Texas really does fucking love the military, Jesus. At this time another older gentleman that knows Victor sits beside me and greets Victor. He asks me if I had deployed and I told him I had and was heading back over. "I thought my war was bad, I feel bad for your situation with those bombs they put on the roads. Scary stuff." "You were in?" "Army, Vietnam. I was a forward observer." This dude then proceeds to tell me stories about hiding in the brush from dog handlers who were hunting them down since they were forward observers. He proceeds to mention that if it wasn't for some Native American teaching them how to hide their scent, he would have been found. Basically learned how to rub shit on themselves so they could evade dog handlers. I'm sitting there in dismay at how he felt bad for my war... I may have gone into Iraqi shit creeks more than I cared for but I wasn't purposely rubbing shit in my hair so I could be behind deadly frontlines. He then proceeds to talk about a battle he was in. How they were being overran at one point by the Vietnamese. "We lost a lot of good men that day. Lots of friends." A slight tear rolls down his cheek and I saw him brush it away. You can usually spot a bull shitter with their gloats of heroism and valor. You know you're dealing with a man who had seen some shit when eyes water. A man who had seen some real hard shit in the bush. I could be wrong but I got the feeling he was the type that buried his experiences deep into his mind and never really got the chance to express his memories. He was a successful construction owner but I'm sure he still has nights judging by what he was telling me. Only to be probably spit on when he came home. He asks to be excused so he can piss. "I never knew he was in the service nor in Vietnam..." Victor says. "I've known him for over 15 years and I had no clue." Bartender says. Gentleman comes back and I ask if I can buy him a beer for his service as he had bought one for me. He agrees. Victor ended up picking up the tab before I could pay for that round. God damnit can I not fucking pay for anything here? I give him a firm handshake when I leave and tell him it was nice to meet him. Later I gave Victor my Combat Infantryman Badge and asked him to give it to the gentleman. Tell him I appreciate him telling me stories and mad respect for a man who had been through some real shit. While we were talking, he said something along the lines of not getting anything like infantry guys. Normally this would be debate worthy to me but I'm not saying shit to this gentleman. He's been through it. "Does it mean anything when I give it to him?" "Means essentially nothing but maybe it will be something to him." Fast forward. I'm going to skip the part of going to a Roller Derby team after-party at a strip club where I saw behemoth sized women picking up strippers and toss money at them left and right. That was another doozy of a day. They were more crazy in the strip club than I had ever seen any crowd be.... Coming from a survivor of Fayettenam's strip club venues, that means something. Alright. I'm on my final day and I've left a fuck ton more shit out of this story that occurred down in Beaumont for respectful reasons. We had to leave abruptly so I was on my last night. I went down to the hotel bar that I had gone into a few times. The bartender Steve was like the youngest 50 year old dude I had ever seen. I thought he was younger than me. Apparently my man Steve is a millionaire with a landscaping business and I ask him why he bartends and he says "Because of the funny fucking stories I get to hear from dudes like you." Oh, okay, word. This other dude is sitting beside me and asks if I was in the Army as I well telling Steve the shit show of an experience I had since being in Beaumont. "I was in too. I didn't go overseas or nothing like you did." I then proceed to have a very meaningful conversation with this dude on how he shouldn't look at it that way. He served and if called upon, he would have answered too. I offer to buy him a drink. He agrees and I ask Steve for a glass of their best scotch at the bar for both of us. I'm paying something in this god damn town before I leave. Just fucking something. I haven't dropped a dollar since Wal-Mart basically and this place has been so fucking kind to me, I'm putting something into Beaumont's economy. So help me God. We talk. We finish our drinks. We shake hands. He departs. I look at Steve and realize that this will wrap up this adventure. My precious Beautmont adventure. What a time. You have been so kind and generous to me. Now it's time to pay for something for this town. Here we go. "Get me tab Steve." "It's on the house, Pickleindabutt." FUUUUUUUUUUUCK. I go on this rant about how everyone is paying everything for me and fuck let me just buy a round. Steve is laughing at me and refuses. "JUST LET ME BUY AN RC COLA STEVE, SHIT!" I finally convince him to give me $0.00 receipt and leave him a $20 dollar tip. The next day we get back into uniform and realize we grossly did not estimate our trip to the airport accurately at all so we are speeding away from lovely Beaumont to whatever airport we needed to get to in Louisiana. While speeding we get pulled over by some Louisiana state trooper. He walks up to the passenger side where I am sitting at. "Who the hell do you think you are speeding like - what the hell, yall going to war or something?" when he sees the uniforms. "Well, we're trying to make our flight at the so we can go to Iraq." Ehhh, not a lie necessarily... "Alright, after you pass the next state trooper at the end of the coming construction zone, you should be able to gun it the rest of the way there. Be safe now!" Wasn't expecting that response but we'll take it. And that was that. I went back to Fort Bragg. Beaumont's adventure was over and I somehow managed to survive. I came back on a regular workday night and went to bed. Woke up to my Staff Duty desk calling me at like 5am and my dumb ass Sergeant Major was on the line which is not what I wanted... "Hey SSG Pickle! Were you trying to fucking kill yourself!?" Dear God, did my Sergeant Major catch wind of all that was going down in Beaumont. I wasn't posting it on social media. Does he know the shennanigans? We got the containers through. Did he catch rumors of his Staff Sergeant parading around in strip clubs, almost crashing a jet ski, partying with Roller Derby girls, having to sit around a hospital waiting area for a day, being selected to be a special guest for a crawfish cook-off... Could they question my professionalism? Am I losing my spot on the security detachment. Did I fill out hazmat paperwork wrong?... What could this mean. "Uh... negative." "Oh shit wrong SSG, never mind." Hangs up. Get a text from my Platoon Sergeant who is acting 1SG at this time and he's basically like "Come in today, now." I get there and he's basically like "Yeah everything has gone to shit for this pre-deployment. I need you in here." Whatever, that's fine. He's solid so I know it's the truth. "By the way, how was that trip to Beaumont?" "bro."
Best Places to Visit in France. If You had travel France how was your experience as a tourist.
Paris 📷It could not be possible to write about travel in France, without stating any of the Paris tourist places? From the Eiffel Tower, Louvre and Musee d’Orsay to Notre Dame Cathedral, Ile de la Cité, and Moulin Rouge, the French capital houses some of the most visited tourist attractions in Europe. Originally a tiny island on the Seine River, today Paris has evolved into a traveller’s delight. While it’s a good idea to opt for a Paris tour package that covers all the highlights of Paris tourism, do remember to spare some time to simply soak in the spirit of the place. Because, honestly, there’s no place quite like Paris!
Pont du Gard📷 The Pont du Gard, South of France, is probably one of the most famous Roman monuments outside of Rome. This extraordinary Roman aqueduct is located just north of Nimes. The Pont du Gard is one of 4 UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the South of France. Complete with an excellent visitors centre and Mediterranean garden, the Pont du Gard, is a special place to visit in France. One of my favourite days out with the kids is head off to the beautiful town of Uzes, 15kms to the west of the Pont du Gard. We like to potter around in the town and grab some lunch in one of the pavement restaurants in the main square.
The Gorges du Verdon📷 Europe’s answer to the grand canyon, this deep cliff gorge located in the Provence region is a visitor hot spot. Here you’ll find bright turquoise green waters, outstanding scenery and an abundance of wildlife – it’s not difficult to see why this gorge is so popular. Easily accessible from the French Riviera, the national park is a great spot to climb, hike, kayak or just go for a scenic drive.
Provence To witness gorgeous stretches of lavender flowers and lush olive groves, head to Provence, one of the most famous regions in France. If time is not a constraint, it’s recommended that you spend a couple of serene hours at the Sénanque Abbey, a 12th-century church near Gordes. And then, there are tourist trips to picturesque villages of Baux-de-Provence, St. Rémy, and Avignon. You’ll see imposing mountains, magnificent ancient architecture, and, yes, many, many vineyards!
Monte Carlo📷 I know it is not strictly French, but you have to include Monte Carlo, Monaco in any list of places to visit in France. This tiny but wealthy Principality, covering just one square mile, is the World's smallest Sovereign state after the Vatican. When the state was faced with bankruptcy in 1848, the then Prince of Monaco (Charles III), decided to open a casino. The profits of the famous casino soon proved to be so large that all taxes were abolished and the grateful citizens renamed the hill by the casino 'Monte Carlo' (Mount Charles). Today it is a glitzy place, home of not just the rich and famous but also a legendary Grand Prix. If you get beyond all the enormous yachts and showy jewellery shops, I have always found Monte Carlo quite pleasant to walk around and not too expensive. The view from the top of the Monte Carlo hill up near the castle is absolutely amazing.
Giverny📷 Giverny is a riverside rural idyll located on the borders of Normandy which is most famous for being the birthplace of impressionism. The small village was once Claude Monet’s cherished country retreat and now both his pink shutterboard house and highly photogenic country gardens are open to the public. Planted by Monet himself, the walled water garden (which inspired so many of his famous paintings) features white and purple wisterias, water lilies, weeping willows, bamboo and the iconic green Japanese bridge.
Annecy📷 Which is the most photogenic place in France? It’s a tough call, but many would vouch for Annecy, popularly known as the ‘Venice of Savoie’. Peppered with small canals and a 14th-century Chateau (Palais de l’Isle) right at the centre, Annecy is the kind of place that has managed to stay untouched by time. As you walk down the narrow cobbled streets in the old town, surrounded by a huge lake and snowy mountains, you’ll understand why Annecy is so special.
Strasbourg📷 Located right on the border of Germany and France this heritage city has distinct characteristics of both countries. It’s a picturesque, almost twee town radiating an old world charm which really draws the visitors. Famous for its riverfront half-timbered houses, beautiful gothic cathedral and fondness for flowers, it also makes a great base for those wishing to visit the nearby Black Forest or the River Rhine.
Nice Cannes📷 If you think of the South of France, then Nice and Cannes spring automatically to mind. Along the 120km coast of the Cote d'Azur, there are many places to stop off and enjoy, such as St Tropez (see below), Frejus, Sainte-Maxime, Cap Ferrat and Cassis; but Cannes with its international film festival and Nice with its exotic buildings and promenade have the wow factor. With its broad avenues, wide sweeping bay and golden beach it is not difficult to see why some 3 million people flock to Nice every year. The long sweep of the Baie des Anges is a magnificent beach, bordered by the Promenade des Anglais - named after the first tourists who came here in the late 18th century and began to transform this once sleepy fishing port into the Mediterranean's premier resort. Only Paris rivals it as a tourist attraction. Equally so, Cannes with its 3 local beaches, narrow streets and celebrity visitors is an excellent base for exploring the South of France.
Mont Saint-Michel Second only to the Eiffel Tower as France’s best-loved landmark, Mont St-Michel is rocky, peaked island which is connected by a causeway to northwest France. An imposing sight sitting amid sandbanks and powerful tides, the heritage site is most celebrated for its Gothic-style Benedictine abbey. Directly below the grand monastery is a medieval village complete with winding streets, small houses and souvenir shops. The island is accessible at all times except when the tide is very high. For Booking Accommodation At Cheap Prices Just Click Here
If I could have written season 3, here's how I'd do it. Please read would love feedback :))
Riverdale Season 3 ~ My Way
Mystery: The third season's mystery revolves around The Farm, a cult run by new-age guru Edgar Evernever. Edgar is the son of the travelling preacher buried alive by vigilante's for The Riverdale Reaper (Louis Cooper's) crimes. Elias - his father - founded The Farm and Edgar continued to preach his father's gospel and made the organisation grow into what it is today. However, Edgar twisted it into something dark...an organ farm where he uses his power over his followers to trick them into undergoing surgery to remove their organs so that Edgar can sell them on the black market. He decided to move The Farm to Riverdale (it's home) because he's heard about the several murders and awful things to have occured in Riverdale and he wants to recruit as many of its citizens as possible to kill them all of in a mass suicide to save their souls from the wretched town they live in. Edgar is obsessed with recruiting Betty because it's important to him that he wipes out the Cooper bloodline for good. Chapter Thirty-Six: Labor Day NOTE - this episode would be exactly the same as canon minus the Dilton/Ben/G&G stuff Chapter Thirty-Seven: Fortune And Men's Eyes Veronica turns her back on her parents & moves in with Betty to help keep her sane after her stress-induced hallucination. Jug convinces Betty to pretend to embrace The Farm but at Betty's first meeting with them she discovers Alice has told them all their family secrets. Penny starts successfully poaching Serpents & convincing them to join the Ghoulies much to Jughead's chagrin. Archie brings the prisoners together through football as Veronica feuds with Cheryl after she steals Archie's presidency in his absense. Kevin worries that Moose is trying to pull away from him after he joins the RROTC. Chapter Thirty-Eight: As Above, So Below When Hiram & his goons try to sabotage La Bonne Nuit's opening night, Veronica enlists the help of Reggie, Josie, Kevin, Cheryl & Toni to ensure opening night goes off without a hitch. Betty & Jughead discover their parents are involved making their lives awkward but Betty makes the best of a bad situation & gets F.P to gather intel about The Farm from Alice. However, he ends their relationship after finding out Alice spilled the bean's about the Shady Man's death. Archie is forced to compete in an illegal underground fight club beneath the prison. Chapter Thirty-Nine: (i don't have a name for this one) Cheryl is horrified to discover that Hiram is paying Sister Woodhouse to drug her girls & allow them to be used for the pleasure of men in Penelope's brothel. She sets about stopping this by gathering evidence of the brothel & threatening her mother as Jughead & the Serpents tail the Ghoulies to sabotage their deliveries to the Sister's. Veronica aligns herself with Attorney McCoy & they manage to successfully shut down the Sister's for good. Whilst this all goes on, Archie becomes Warden Norton's star fighter at Leopold & Loeb which causes the other's to grow jealous. Betty discovers that the student chapter of The Farm has finally caught on and she questions it's newest recruits (Ethel, Dilton & Ben) to find out more about the mysterious cult. Chapter Forty: The Great Escape Betty finds solace in Jughead when she discovers The Farm is searching for a headquarters in Riverdale. They aqquire the Sister's Of Quiet Mercy convent that went up for auction when the Sister's were arrested & the facility shut down. Veronica finds out about the underground fight club & immediately resolves to break Archie out of prison. To help her pull off this hair-brained scheme, she enlists Betty, Josie, Kevin & Reggie. Jughead finds out some teen Ghoulies have transferred to Riverdale High and when he sees them dealing on school premises he tries to expose them to Principal Weatherbee before Riverdale High becomes just as bad as Southside High was. Chapter Forty-One: Manhunter Veronica must deal with the aftermath of breaking Archie out of prison as a manhunt ensues for him. Hiram instructs Penelope to cause chaos & spur people to action. Every deputy at the Riverdale Police Department search for Archie who travels to Shadow Lake Mines with Kevin to find the witnesses Hiram paid to lie under oath. Meanwhile, Betty & Veronica follow a different clue in their quest to exonerate Archie which leads them to discover Cassidy is alive. The Ghoulies believe the Serpents are responsible for the break-out & antaognise them to force Jughead's hand & make him reveal Archie's whereabouts. Chapter Forty-Two: The Man In Black Jughead & Archie - who've skipped town to escape The Man In Black - come across a farmhouse occupied by Laurie Lake & her little sister Gracie. However, their hospitality turns out to be a ruse...they're actually cannibals who want to eat the boys. In Riverdale, Betty consoles Veronica following her break-up with Archie & convinces her to distract herself with work leading Veronica to partner with Elio & host a Casino Night at La Bonne Nuit. The third and final tale of the trilogy takes place during Summer on the anniversary of Jason's death. Cheryl takes Toni for a picnic on Sweetwater River then invites friend's over for a sleepover where they hold a seance to contact Jason's spirit...and it works! Chapter Forty-Three: The Silence Of The Lambs Jughead & Archie visit Gladys & Jellybean in Toledo where they bond with her & explain the chaos ensuing in Riverdale. Betty is furious to find out Alice wired her college fund to The Farm, forcing her to visit Hal & make him sign an affidavit stating she forged his signature. Hal reveals he has valuable information about The Farm that he'll tell Betty in exchange for regular visits. La Bonne Nuit continues riding the high from casino night & an elated Veronica celebrates her success with Reggie but discovers from Pop that Hiram still owns the diner & the Bonne Nuit. Josie starts noticing Kevin sneaking out & assumes he's cruising again but finds out the truth is far more sinister...he's been meeting Farmies. Chapter Forty-Four: Sojourn Alone in Canada, Archie has become a gigalo but after tiring of the humilation he decides it's time for him to go home. Gladys & Jellybean come back to Riverdale with F.P & Jughead to get a second chance at being a family. She challenges Penny Peabody to a duel that Gladys wins & the Ghoulies agree to leave the Serpents alone. Eager to meet his girlfriend, Gladys asks Jughead to invite Betty over for dinner. Betty discovers Alice is being baptised into The Farm & speaks with an escapee who reveals her sister drowned during her baptism. Betty ends up missing the dinner because she was saving Alice - who resolves to sell the house and move to The Farm. Veronica enlists Reggie & Cheryl to help her bring down her father & upon discovering his prison is a front for a drug lab, they tip off the FBI who raid the prison & arrest Hiram. Chapter Forty-Five: The Stranger Archie returns to Riverdale a changed man suffering from PTSD due to the horror's he endured & his friends don't know how to act around this 'New Archie'. Jughead enlists Cheryl to throw a welcome home party for him at Thistlehouse whilst Betty sabotages Alice's attempts at selling the house & deals with Kevin betraying her when he joins The Farm. Veronica decides not to pick things back up romantically with Archie as she wants to explore her connection with Reggie. Additionally, The Lodge's face a financial downturn following Hiram's incarceration & Cheryl is furious when Vixens quit the squad to join The Farm. Chapter Forty-Six: Children Of The Corn Not wanting them raised as "Children of the Corn", Cheryl kidnaps the twins as she fears The Farm is dangerous but Polly later convinces her to check out the group for herself. To celebrate their move to Elm Street, Gladys throws a housewarming party that's derailed by the shocking news that Juniper & Dagwood have been kidnapped. Jug helps Betty, Alice & Polly search for the twins whilst Veronica & Reggie decide to turn La Bonne Nuit into a speakeasy that serves real alcohol as they're not making enough money. Jughead discovers that Jellybean's started playing with a group of mysterious children from The Farm. Archie spirals downwards dissapointing a concerned Fred whilst fighting off predatory Farmie, Evelyn, who sees he's in freefall and tries to exploit this. Chapter Forty-Seven: Bizarrodale When Cheryl becomes queen of the Farmies, a jealous Toni tries to sexually manipulate her into spending more time with her. However, Cheryl sees through this eventually & reveals she's all in with The Farm because they let her talk to Jason. Reggie & Veronica discover that Hermione sold Gladys some left over drugs from Hiram's lab that were moved prior to the FBI raid but before Gladys can get her hands on the product, they burn it. Kevin & Josie plan a lavish wedding reception for Tom & Sierra at La Bonne Nuit but clash over ideas. Alice & F.P confess their love & agree to spend one more night together before calling it quits forever. Edgar becomes the new guidance councillor. Chapter Forty-Eight: Dead Men Tell No Tales After finding out that Edgar allows Alice to see and talk to Charles, Betty goes to great lengths to prove to her mother that her son is dead. Toni tries to prove Jason's dead to Cheryl but ultimately her love for him trumps everything and she breaks up with Toni. As Jughead adjusts to living in Betty's house, he invites everyone over for a movie night to distract his friend's from the recent going's on in Riverdale. Gladys demands money for the drugs that Veronica burned & goes after Hermione when Veronica refuses to pay up. Archie begins councilling sessions with Edgar & finally agrees to explore what The Farm has to offer. Chapter Forty-Nine: Spring Fling After reports of Ghoulie sightings & a string of mysterious seizures (& one death), Jughead concludes that the Serpents' arch rivals are back dealing a dangerous new drug. Evelyn slowly teaches Archie about The Farm causing tension between he & Betty. Veronica is horrified to discover Josie's decided to quit La Bonne Nuit and start performing at The Farm's mixers for new recruits causing a reckless Reggie to storm right into the belly of the beast. As Betty looks forward to Spring Fling, she also reaches out to Attorney McCoy but suspects she's indoctrinated too. When Gladys finds out Alice is chaperoning Spring Fling along with F.P, she tags along as she's afraid Alice might come between she & F.P Chapter Fifty: American Dreams On the eve of F.P's 50th birthday, Gladys has Veronica & Reggie organise a party for him down at the speakeasy but Jughead enlists Fangs to go undercover in the Ghoulies & he reports back that the rumours are true...his mother has taken over Riverdale's drug trade. Meanwhile, Evelyn continues grooming Archie to join The Farm leading Betty to try & help him work through his trauma's by returning to his music; she gifts him a guitar. Betty also helps Veronica prepare for her first official date with Reggie and when it goes well she happily agrees to be his girlfriend. Meanwhile, at The Farm, Cheryl & Kevin must each present their case for why they respectively feel "Heather's"/"Godspel" should be the next musical. Chapter Fifty-One: Heather's As rehearsal's for the musical "Heather's" get underway, Betty grows increasingly annoyed as Evelyn inserts herself into the lives of her friends & treats the musical like one big recruitment drive. Tension mounts between Cheryl & Toni as they're forced to work together for the first time following their break-up leading Toni to make a surprising decision. Jughead searches for Gladys' drug lab so he can destroy it and cease production. Archie & Evelyn reveal their relationship to the "Heather's" cast much to everyone's horror & finally. Enemies of The Lodge's target them after realising they're no longer protected by Hiram & Veronica uses this as an entrypoint to get into The Farm to take it down from the inside. Chapter Fifty-Two: The Raid Betty enlists Veronica to infiltrate The Farm leading her to uncover how Farmies are seeing dead people - Edgar hypnotises them. Jughead discovers that the Ghoulies are cooking drugs for Gladys in a ram-shackle apartment building & with the Serpents help he organises a raid to flush out the Ghoulies before blowing up the building. Archie blackmails Governor Dooley into pardoning his friends from L&L & he gives them refuge at The Farm. Although disturbed by the cult at first - one by one they all succumb to The Farm's allure much to Mad Dog's horror. Cheryl introduces Toni to The Farm's way of life & Toni reveals her intention of meeting Jason. Chapter Fifty-Three: Outbreak Evelyn pretends Betty assaulted her on school premises causing Principal Weatherbee to suspend her. She resumes visits with her dad in her free time & Hal gets into her head by making her believe she'll only stop The Farm by killing Edgar. Meanwhile, Jughead & F.P go after Gladys when she grabs Jellybean & makes a break for it following the revelation that she'd taken over the drug trade in Riverdale. Veronica is shocked to discover that Edgar's asked Archie to arrange the sale of La Bonne Nuit as it's distracting her from her studies at The Farm but she saves the establishment when she agrees to make it a safe space exclusively for Farmies. The Farm continues to spread like a virus throughout town so Hermione arranges a town hall meeting to address the mass fear. Chapter Fifty-Four: Jawbreaker In an attempt to derail Alice & Edgar's upcoming nuptials, Betty investigates Evelyn's past and discovers she's 26 & Edgar's wife. Jughead must keep the peace between the Serpents & Farmies when the former launch a smear campaign against the cult. Archie & Fangs organise a boxing match with the conditions that if Archie wins the Serpents must leave The Farm alone and if Fangs wins they must transfer to a new school. Reggie yearns to spend more time with Veronica & finds out she's undercover at The Farm - fearful she's in over head, he joins to protect her. Cheryl & Toni make a last ditch effort to indoctrinate Betty into The Farm as Alice wants her there for the big day. Chapter Fifty-Five: Prom Night As prom swiftly approaches, Betty spirals following her accidental murder of Evelyn & Jughead helps her cover it up as Edgar & Alice grow suspicious of them. Reggie & Veronica run for Prom King/Queen which is against The Farm's rules and angers Kevin who feels they don't take The Farm's rules seriously. Archie grieves Evelyn and argues with Mary who visits Archie to stage an intervention and convince him to leave The Farm. Cheryl & Toni (who are both heads of the Prom Commitee) use the extra-curricular to promote The Farm and indoctrinate new recruits. In a shocking turn of events, Principal Weatherbee closes Riverdale High to study at The Farm full time. Chapter Fifty-Six: The Dark Secret Of Harvest House At The Farm, Betty is allowed to speak with her shadow self & starts snooping around after learning about strange procedures the Farmies endure which leads to her discovery of The Farm's Harvest Program - Edgar is butchering his disciples and selling their organs on the black market. Archie is suspicious about whether or not Jughead truly believes in The Farm's cause and organises for him to partake in a dangerous ritual that could prove fatal to show his loyalty to the group. Veronica uses a tip from Betty to expose Edgar's hynopsis scam to Reggie and tries to de-program Cheryl who rebuffs each attempt. Chapter Fifty-Seven: Apocalypse Now! Following their escape from The Farm, Jughead & Toni rally the Serpents to rescue their friend's from the cult & face off against the Farmies in a battle royale. As the outside world encroaches upon them, Edgar locks up the facility like Fort Knox & chillingly announces the Ascension - which is mass suicide disguised as an attempt to escape the impending apocalypse brought forth by Baley's Comet. Alice is exposed as an undercover informant for the FBI whilst Betty confronts Edgar & finally gets the answers she's been looking for. Veronica & Reggie frantically try to talk Kevin & Archie out of ascending to no avail whereas Cheryl is allowed to speak with her beloved brother Jason one last time before the end of days...
My Own Future Death Battle By Screwattack (With Four Opponents)
Fighters. Dylan Klebold, James Oliver Huberty, Charles Whitman And Stephen Paddock Theme. Let's Play Co-op (From One Minute Melee Sega's Tails Vs Nintendo's Luigi) Boomstick. In Wars There Are Lots And Lots Of Ammunition. Wiz. But Boomstick History In The US Has Some Horrible Stuff, You Know Killings, Rape And Murder. But One Thing.... Is Mass Shootings And Terrorist Attacks. Wiz. Today On Death Battle Four Mass Shooters Will Fight Each Other Boomstick. Charles Joseph Whitman, Ex-Marine And The Infamous 1966 Texas Tower Sniper. Wiz. James Oliver Huberty. 1984 San Ysidro Mcdonald's Shooter And Unemployed Security Guard. Boomstick. Stephen Paddock, The 2017 Las Vegas Gunman. Wiz. And Dylan Klebold, The Second Shooter Of The 1999 Columbine Shooting And High-school Freshman. He Is Wiz And I'm Boomstick. Wiz. And It's Our Job To Find The Details Of Their Strength, Speed And Skills To Find Out Who Will Win A Death Battle. Dylan Klebold. Boomstick. In 1999 A High-school In Littleton, Colorado Named Columbine Went In Shock When Two Students Burst In The High-school With Guns And Explosives And Opened Fire. Wiz. The Shooters Were Two High-school Freshman's Eric David Harris And Dylan Bennett Klebold Who Commited Suicide After All Students Ran Away. Boomstick. But Eric Harris... SORRY. We Are Talking About Dylan Klebold Wiz. Born In Lakewood, Colorado In September 11 1981. Dylan Bennett Klebold Was Just A Little Friendly Neighborhood Boy Who Became A Mass Murderer With His Friend 18 Year Old Eric Harris Before Committing Suicide By Shooting Themselves In The Head. Boomstick. They Wounded 24 People And Killed 14 Students And A Teacher. Which Means They Shot 38 Students Becoming The Worst School Shooting But Still One Of The Deadliest In US History. Wiz. And Columbine Will Still Haunt Us To This Day. Human Race Sucks - Dylan Klebold (1981-1999) James Oliver Huberty. Wiz. In 1984 In San Diego's San Ysidro A Man Walked In To A McDonald's And Screamed ''Everybody Get Down The Floor''. Boomstick. And That Man Was Non-other Than James... Oliver.. Huberty. Wiz. Born On October 11 1942 In Canton Ohio. James Oliver Huberty Loved Motorcycles And Bicycles Who Loved His Life. Growing Up Huberty Got Married, Had Children And Then God Damn Killed People. Wiz. He Used A Pistol, An Uzi And A Shotgun And Firing At People. Before Being Gunned Down By A Sniper's Bullet. Being The Worst Mass Shooting In USA History. Boomstick. But In 1991 It Was Crowned The Deadliest Shooting In Modern US History. I'm Going To Hunt Humans - James Oliver Huberty (1942-1984) Stephen Paddock. Boomstick. You Know Wiz Las Vegas Is A Good City You Know. Wiz. Your Right Boomstick. Vegas Has Bars, Casinos And Hotels. Boomstick. But Not One Night In October 1st 2017. Wiz. Because Stephen Paddock Fired On Crowd After Country Star Jason Aldean Was Performing. Boomstick. Born In April 9th 1953. Stephen Paddock Was Born In Clinton, Iowa. Wiz. Paddock's Father Was A Bank Robber. And Growing Up In Tuscon, Arizona. He Did Lot Of Stuff There. Boomstick. But In 1960 When Paddock Was 7-Years Old His Father Was Arrested. Wiz. But In 2017 Paddock Went To Las Vegas, Nevada. He Went On 32nd Floor In Mandalay Bay Hotel And Opened Fire After Jason Aldean Was Performing. Boomstick. Paddock Shot 50 People And Wounded 800 Others Before Killing Himself. Wiz. Las Vegas Shooting Is The Worlds Deadliest Shooting In History Of US. Launch The Operation That I Have Planned For Years And Decades - Stephen Paddock (1953-2017) Charles Whitman. Wiz. In August 1st 1966 A Sniper With A High-Powered Rifle Has Taken Up A Position On The Observation Deck Of The Tower On Campus Of The University Of Texas At Austin. Boomstick. The Shooter Was 25 Year Old Ex-Marine Charles Joseph Whitman. Wiz. Born In Lake Worth, Florida In June 24th 1941. Charles Joseph Whitman Was A Good Student. And One Night Whitman Was Drunk And His Dad Beated Him Up And Threw Him On The Family Swimming Pool. And Secretly Joined The Marine Corps. Boomstick. After Being Discharged From The Marines He Returned As A College Student At The University Of Texas. In August 1st Whitman Climbed The University's Clock Tower And Inflicted Almost Two Hours Of Panic With Gunfire. Wiz. His Rain Of Terror Ended After An Officer Shot Whitman. And Had A Brain Tumor That Might Had Been The Cause Of His Rage. Tower Shooting At The Texas Universíty Was Once Again The Worst And Deadliest Shooting In US History I've Been The Victim Of Everyone - Charles Joseph Whitman (1941-1966) Wiz. Alright The Combatants Are Set Let's End This Debate Once And For All. Boomstick. Cause Get Your Firearms Ladies And Gentleman Because It's Time For A DEATH BAATTLLEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!! (Battle Location) LA Bank Tower James Huberty Walked From A Restaurant With Dead Bodies Inside Of It With Bullet Injuries. Paddock In A Museum Killed A Guard. Whitman Was In A Hotel Killing People With A Shotgun And Klebold Was Shooting In A Tower. When Paddock Went From The Roof Door, Huberty From The Underground Door And Whitman From The Main Door. They All Saw Each Other FIGHT!!!! Whitman Shoots At Klebold Who Dodges Then He Attacked Klebold. Huberty Punched Paddock Then Paddock Kicked Huberty. On The Battle Of Whitman And Klebold. Klebold Punched Whitman 6 Times That Hit Whitman Then Whitman Kicked And Punched Klebold 12 Times And Then Shot Klebold In The Chest With A Pistol And Then With A Shotgun In The Head Klebold Died. James Shot Paddock 6 Times In The Chest And He Survived Paddock Took A Knife And Stabbed Huberty In The Brain And Then He Shot Him On The Head Killing Huberty. Then The Final Battle Paddock Vs Whitman. Whitman Shoots Paddock Who Finds Cover. Then Paddock Shoots At Whitman Who Also Finds Cover. Paddock Jumps From His Cover To Whitman Who Shoots Paddock With A Pistol To The Chest Paddock Hits The Floor Then Whitman Walks Grinning With A Knife. Then Paddock Wakes Up And Whitman Tries To Stab Paddock In The Head. Paddock Dodges And Takes His Butterfly Knife. Whitman And Paddock Swings Their Knives Around Then Paddock Punches Whitman In The Head. Whitman Tries To Stab Paddock. But Paddock Dodges, Takes Whitman's Knife, And Plunges It Through Whitman's Throat And Through His Head Killing Whitman. Then Paddock Walks Away When He Put Explosives All Around The Bank Tower And His Helicopter Arrives Before The Police Came. Then The Police Sees Whitman's, Huberty's And Klebold's Corpses. And Paddock On His Helicopter (The Pilots Were George Hennard And Seung Hui-Cho And Behind Paddock Is Adan Lanza And Derrick Bird) Detonates The Bombs Which Exploded The Tower. KO!!!! Boomstick. Wow What A Fight. Wiz. Paddock's Arsenal Of Weapons Effected Challenge To Huberty And Whitman. But For Whitman It Was Hard For Paddock's Rage. And For Huberty And Klebold It Was Awful For Whitman And Paddock. Boomstick. They All Just Got Paddocked. Huberty, Klebold And Whitman. Wiz. The Winner Is Stephen Paddock.
Welcome to Isle of Capri Casino Lake Charles Louisiana. Upon arrivial, you will be greeted by beautiful rooms and suites, a casino gaming floor to enjoy, amazing dining and bars, and much more. Come join us today! Tilman Fertitta's Golden Nugget Casino Lake Charles reopens its hotel, restaurant and pools Friday, but the casino floor will reopen on Monday after being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. use & Earn. mycash mastercard credit card start earning mycash and tier points today. You're invited to apply for the mycash MasterCard® Credit Card Today.Click the link below and in just a few minutes you'll be piling up the mycash and Tier Points! 1. You must be at least 21 years of age and in good standing to be eligible for the Penn National Gaming Loyalty program. In other parts of the state, however, casinos are going ahead with reopening plans. For instance, L’Auberge Lake Charles announced that it will reopen on May 18 under new guidelines. Some of the Casino Resort & Lodging Updates Most casino resort properties in Calcasieu Parish have opened their doors to guests. Each property’s amenities and restaurants vary and are limited for now; however, all are working closely with public health officials and gaming regulators to take their already stringent safety and cleaning standards to the highest level. Opening hours for Casinos & Gambling in Lake Charles, LA 18 results . Show open only . L'Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles. 777 Avenue L'Auberge, Lake Charles, LA, 70601 . Open 0-24. more details. Modele. 777 Avenue L'Auberge, Lake Charles, LA, 70601 . Opens in 6 h 58 min. more details. In accordance with the Louisiana statewide mask mandate, and in order to help reduce the spread of COVID – 19, L'Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles will be requiring all persons in public areas to wear a mask covering the face and nose. Patrons may remove masks temporarily while eating or drinking or when asked by casino staff for identification. Golden Nugget Lake Charles will reopen its casino floor on Monday, May 18, the first of five casinos owned by billionaire Tilman Fertitta. When you play slots and table games with your Golden Nugget 24K Select Card, you will earn Tier Credits and Comp Dollars*, which can be used across all Landry’s, Inc. restaurants and Golden Nugget Casinos. * Comp dollar and slot point earning excludes 24 Karat Tier level at Golden Nugget Lake Charles. Join the 24K Select Club! Native American tribes with casinos remain open for now, with restrictions. More here. Mississippi casinos. All 26 of the state’s casinos remain open. Missouri casinos. Missouri casinos are all open, with varying restrictions. Montana casinos. Some of Montana’s tribal casinos are closed. There are restrictions that limit capacity in casinos
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