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BY DAVID JACOBS, THE CENTER SQUARE

Louisiana is entering a critical stretch in its efforts to reduce the spread of the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19, Gov. John Bel Edwards said Wednesday.
“We have two weeks to minimize the spread of COVID-19,” he said.
While the fight against the outbreak and its impact will continue much longer, the next two weeks are critical to “flatten the curve” and avoid overwhelming health care providers, he said.
The Louisiana National Guard is helping to open three drive-through testing sites in New Orleans and Jefferson Parish, hopefully by Friday. Edwards said state officials are awaiting testing kits and other supplies from the federal government.
A testing site in Baton Rouge that was opened this week only to shut down when it ran out of testing kits reportedly is operational again.
He said supplies and re-sources are limited and only people with COVID-19 symp-toms and a doctor’s referral should get tested. People who do not have a primary care provider to contact can call 211.
“As we flatten the curve, we have to ramp up our surge capacity to deliver health care,” Edwards said.
The Louisiana Department of Health is working to identify health care workers who are available to treat the sick, as well as temporary facilities that with minor renovations can house pa-tients. The “staffing surge” will be more of a challenge than the “bed surge,” Ed-wards said.
All eviction and foreclosure proceedings are suspended, Edwards said, adding that people should still continue to make their rent or mortgage payments. Unemployment benefits are available for people who are temporarily out of work, though the Louisiana Workforce Commission’s website has crashed multiple times as an unprecedented number of people apply at once.
Edwards also has closed bars, theaters and fitness facilities, limited restaurants to delivery and carryout only, and banned gatherings of 50 or more people in the same room, among other restrictions.
Attorney General Jeff Landry, making a rare joint appearance with Edwards, said the governor’s actions appear to fall within his legal authority to combat a public health crisis.
Landry said his staff is re-viewing relevant statutes to ensure the government’s “emergency powers” are “within reach in order to protect the public.”
“We may need to make adjustments to make sure we stay within the law and the constitution,” Landry added.
Edwards and Landry usu-ally are political enemies. On Wednesday, Landry endorsed the governor’s actions and urged people to respect the various restrictions.
“There are much more drastic measures that could be taken,” Landry said, without giving examples. “[Edwards] is acting with restraint and consideration of individual liberty and freedoms, and I appreciate that.”
Landry said his office is investigating about 51 allegations of price-gouging. He also urged the public to be wary of scams and to not share sensitive information over the internet unless they initiated the contact.
Wednesday’s press confer-ence also included LSU head football coach Ed Orgeron, who is part of the state’s campaign to spread awareness about safety measures.
“Have faith in the game plan,” he said. “We’re going to get through this.”
Louisiana had 257 reported coronavirus infections as of mid-day Wednesday. Seven people had died, all from the greater New Orleans area.
The number of positive tests for the virus is likely to spike dramatically over the next day or so as more than 1,000 test results are reported all at once, Edwards said.
Symptoms of COVID-19 can include fever, coughing and trouble breathing. Most people who have it develop only mild symptoms. But some people, usually the elderly and those with other medical complications, develop more severe symp-toms, including pneumonia, which can be fatal.

PINEVILLE – Last Friday, Cleco announced the activation of its Pandemic Response Plan and the practice of “social distancing.”
The company’s social distancing efforts include the closure of all Cleco offices, including its corporate headquarters building in Pineville, to the public with non-critical administrative employees working remotely from home. Employees critical to operations will continue to work as usual while practicing proper hygiene and social distancing.
These are just a few of the company’s ongoing efforts to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, the coronavirus, and still meet customers’ power needs.
“Companywide, Cleco currently has no reported nor any confirmed coronavirus cases. However, our priority is the safety of our employees, customers and communities. By practicing social distancing, we believe that we are doing our part to protect our employees, prevent the spread of the coronavirus in our workplace and minimize the potential outbreak from overwhelming our hospitals,” said Bill Fontenot, president and CEO. “At the same time, these steps will help ensure we continue delivering safe and reliable power to our customers during this critical time.”
Cleco is enforcing the following safety measures effective immediately and until further notice:
• All Cleco customer service offices are temporarily closed
• Temporary suspension of electric service disconnects and late fees
• All Cleco locations, including the company’s corporate headquarters in Pineville, are closed to the public
• Cleco personnel who are unable to do their jobs from home, such as line mechanics and power plant workers, continue to work and are being closely monitored
• All non-critical travel for Cleco business is prohibited (air travel banned)
• Encouraging employees to practice social distancing and refrain from in-person gatherings of more than 10 people
• All company meetings are being held virtually or via phone
“We recognize this is an evolving situation and an uncertain time for our customers and employees,” said Fontenot. “As such, we will continue to evaluate our response and make the necessary adjustments as more information becomes available from local, state and federal agencies.”
For the most up-to-date information, visit www.cleco.com.

The Vermilion Parish Police Jury is limiting public access to the Vermilion Parish Courthouse to help prevent possible exposure of COVID-19 to the employees in the Courthouse.
“We hope by limiting access we will be available to provide needed services if the spread of the virus causes more disruptions,” said Police Juror Administrator Keith Roy.
. The Courthouse will be open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday – Friday with the following restrictions.
These restrictions are effective Wednesday, March 18, 2020 to April 13, 2020 for all offices in the Courthouse except for the 15th Judicial Court Offices and Clerk of Court. The restricted access for their offices will expire on March 27, 2020.

Below are the Limits of Access for each office in the Courthouse;
1. Access to the Vermilion Parish Police Jury Office will be limited to residents needing a building permit. Those residents needing a permit will need to call 337-898-4300 and speak to Melissa White, Permit Specialist to make an appointment. All permits will be issued by appointment only. Any other members of the public, who feel they have a legitimate need to visit the Police Jury Office need to call the number above to determine if your business can be handled electronically.
2. The District Attorney Office for the 15th Judicial Court is closed to the public and is asked all members of the public to call the office at 337-898-4320 for assistance.
3. Access to the Vermilion Parish Tax Assessor Office is limited to only those situations deemed absolutely necessary by the Assessor’s Office. Please call 337-893-2837 for further guidance. You may also accomplish most tasks by going to their website at www.vermilionassessor.org, emailing them at vpao@vermilionassessor.org or by mail to 100 N. State St., Suite 110, Abbeville, La 70510.
4. The Vermilion Parish Registrar of Voters Office is asking for the public to use the Louisiana Secretary of State website to register or make changes to voter registration.  For any other matter please call 337-898-4324 before coming to the Courthouse, so they can try to resolve your need without risk to the public or their staff.
5. Access to the Vermilion Parish 911 Office requires an appointment by calling 337-898-4350. 
6. Access to the 15th Judicial Court Offices and the Clerk of Court Offices will be limited to the public for the following;
Anyone set to appear in criminal court in Vermilion Parish between March 16 and March 27, 2020, are to report to the courthouse on their scheduled court dates to be served with a new court date.
The clerk will be located at a temporary outdoor office on the east porch of the courthouse facing Charity Street to provide service to all defendants.
Civil protective orders, emergency child custody matters pursuant to Louisiana Children’s Code Article 3945, proceedings for children removed from their home by emergency court order and emergency commitment hearings will proceed.
Criminal initial appearances for adults and juveniles, arraignments for incarcerated individuals, and bond hearings will proceed. Adult proceedings will be conducted with the use of video appearances.
All jurors summoned for service between March 16 and March 23, 2020, will be reset for a future court date. These jurors do not need to report to the courthouse. They will receive notification from the clerk in the future.
The clerk of court remains open to receive necessary criminal and civil filings and recordings.
The public is asked to avoid coming to the courthouse except as required by absolute necessity.
These limitations are approved by the Vermilion Parish Police Jury in coordination with all agencies/departments who are housed in the Vermilion Parish Courthouse.

BATON ROUGE — The Louisiana Department of Health reports a seventh death related to COVID-19.
The 72-year-old individual was a Jefferson Parish resident. There is no known connection to the Lambeth House.
The State’s fifth and sixth COVID-19 related deaths were reported earlier on Wednesday. This is the first COVID-19 death in Jefferson Parish.
Going forward, LDH will report COVID-19 related deaths twice per day, at 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., as needed.
While older individuals and those with underlying medical conditions are at greater risk, everyone can become exposed to COVID-19 and must be vigilant to protect their health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some of the serious chronic health conditions include heart disease, diabetes and lung disease.

Everyone is warned to take the necessary precautions to help limit the spread of COVID-19 and stay safe and healthy.

These precautions include:
Washing your hands for at least 20 seconds and frequently
Covering your cough or sneeze with your arm
Avoiding touching your face
Routinely cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces
Avoiding close contact with others
And staying home if you are sick
About the Louisiana Department of Health