Louisiana has moved to number one in the country in per capita COVID-19 cases.
“That per capita ranking should be an alarm bell for everyone to fully understand just how serious this is,” said Governor John Bel Edwards.
On Tuesday, the state health department announced 1,125 more coronavirus cases yesterday and the number of COVID-19 deaths has reached 3,700, but the number of coronavirus patients has fallen below 1,600, which Edwards hopes is a positive sign.
Tuesday’s numbers also showed a daily percentage of positive tests to be below 7 percent. The governor hopes this is a sign the mask mandate and bar closure order is working to slow the spread.
“When you have a public health emergency that is basically unprecedented in its scale, you have to take those measures that are designed to promote public safety and designed to keep the maximum amount of the economy open,” said Edwards.
State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says his office has conducted over 5,000 compliance checks on businesses since the beginning of Phase Two and most usually come into compliance after one visit.
“It’s kind of a three-strikes and you’re out. We probably about fourteen businesses that are on a second strike and we are going out and working with them and actually I think one of them today is actually complying,” said Browning.
Browning says despite the multiple chances to come into compliance, four business have had bar permits suspended including Sand Dollar Tiki Bar in Grand Isle, Frosty Factory in Lake Charles, Pelican Pub in Gonzales, and Wo-de’s Chill Spot in Harvey.
“One of which was serving alcohol on-premise, the other three were businesses that should not have been open because they were bar rooms. As a result of that, the Alcohol-Tobacco Control Agency has suspended those four licenses,” said Browning.
Hearings are scheduled for August 5 and 6 which could result in a suspension period of up to 30 days.
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