By Bob Warren
It’s mask day: You should see a lot more people wearing masks today. The statewide order took effect this morning. Here’s everything you need to know. In a related story, Julie O’Donoghue from the Louisiana Illuminator reports that state Attorney General Jeff Landry sent an email to his employees that offers some strategies for how they can sidestep mask and vaccine mandates. Some other COVID news of note: - Students at state universities won't be required to be vaccinated.
- One big hospital system will require employees to be vaccinated. Will others follow?
- And columnist Stephanie Grace offers notes that the governor, during his presser announcing a mask mandate this week, came about as close to “reading us the riot act as he ever does.”
Please join us: We’re chatting with the governor this morning and we’d love for you to join us. The town hall, sponsored by AARP Louisiana, started at 11:30 and goes ‘til 12:15 or so – so there’s still some time to tune in. The topic? COVID, of course.
Pandemic performance: Test scores for public school students took a nosedive, dropping 5% in data released this morning by the state Department of Education. The culprit: COVID, educators say.
Dusting off the apron: One for you foodies out there. Gunter Preuss, the noted chef behind the old Versailles Restaurant, is coming out of retirement. But it’s a one-night-only thing – a dinner to benefit the Deutsches Haus, our restaurant guy Ian McNulty reports.
Also in the news: TMZ posted video this morning of Pelicans center Jaxson Hayes being tased during an arrest last week. And hurricane forecasters are tracking three disturbances in the Atlantic. All this and much more in today’s Lunch Line. Thanks for taking a break with us. BW
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