Louisiana lawmakers hold contentious hearing on COVID-19

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BATON ROUGE, Louisiana (AP) Governor John Bel Edwards currently has no plans to promulgate broad coronavirus vaccine mandates across Louisiana despite low vaccination rates and an overwhelming increase in COVID-19 cases hospitals, the chief attorney for Democratic governors told lawmakers on Monday.

The comments from Edwards’ executive attorney Matthew Block came as New Orleans began requiring the vaccine or a recent negative coronavirus test to enter restaurants, bars, gyms, the Superdome and other interior places.

Block spoke at a House Health Committee hearing where he and Louisiana Director of Public Health Dr. Joe Kanter were heckled and criticized by an unruly crowd opposing the masks and vaccines. Security removed several people from the room for refusing to wear a mask or for shouting objections to the health information.

As Kanter advocated the wearing of masks to prevent the spread of disease, one person in the committee room shouted: They don’t work! Another said: No more lies! Edwards enacted a statewide mask mandate for indoor locations whether people are vaccinated or not. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommends indoor masking in public places.

As the hearing stretched for hours, the Louisiana Health Department announced another hospitalization record, with 2,956 people with coronavirus disease filling hospital beds and straining the patient’s body. state health system.

Hospital executives and other public health officials have repeatedly warned that the facilities are at a breaking point.

I pray to be close to the top, really. I saw no evidence in our data to suggest they were close, Kanter told the House Health and Welfare committee.

Ninety percent of COVID-19 patients in hospitals are not fully immunized, according to data from the state’s health department.

Louisiana continues to have the highest number of new COVID-19 cases per capita over the past week, according to the CDC. Dozens of people die from the disease every day, with 188 deaths from COVID-19 confirmed in Louisiana in the past week.

As New Orleans began its vaccine or testing requirements for entry into businesses on Monday, systems at Louisiana State University, University of Louisiana and University of the South have plans to require students to be vaccinated with a state-approved exemption list after one of the vaccines receives full FDA approval, expected in a few weeks.

Rep. Rick Edmonds, a Republican from Baton Rouge, questioned whether Edwards wanted to adopt more extensive vaccination requirements.

I think everyone was more than worried where they were going, Edmonds said.

Block replied: is this something the governor is considering right now? The answer is no. He warned, however, that Edwards would not rule out the possibility in the future, depending on the direction of the pandemic.

The Louisiana Republican Party voted on Saturday to condemn New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell for requiring proof of vaccination or a recent negative coronavirus test to enter business and called on the legislature to quash it. action. Republican Representative Chuck Owen, from Rosepine, proposed the resolution passed by the GOP, calling the vaccination mandate a threat to our freedom.

During Monday’s hearing, Republican Carencro Representative Julie Emerson asked presidents of the higher education system to describe how students can request exemptions from college vaccination mandates that are expected to come into effect later this year. year.

Bossier City Republican Representative Raymond Crews said the Edwards administration should do more to promote vitamin intake and tackle underlying health issues like obesity and diabetes that put a person at greater risk. severe symptoms when she contracts COVID-19.

Why are we pushing masks when much of Louisiana does not consent? The crews asked. When we impose things on people who don’t want to do it, it just erodes the power of government.

People testifying at the hearing were divided over masks and vaccines. Several parents objected to the mask requirement for children attending K-12 schools. One woman described a mask as an investigational medical device and called the face covering requirement child abuse.

Democrats on the committee highlighted the widespread spread of COVID-19 in the state and raised concerns about the grim situation in Louisiana hospitals.

Could it be harming other people by not wearing our masks? asked Representative Travis Johnson, a Democrat from Vidalia.

Kanter replied: Without a doubt.

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Follow PA’s coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic. Follow Melinda Deslatte on Twitter at http://twitter.com/melindadeslatte.

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