#StayHome
#SocialDistancing
#MaskUpLA
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Gov. John Bel Edwards announced that following continued improvement in Louisiana’s COVID-19 outlook and a significant increase in testing capacity and contact tracing, Louisiana is ready to move to Phase 2 of the White House’s reopening strategy on June 5.
Gov. Edwards will sign the official order for Phase 2 of a Resilient Louisiana by Thursday evening, with guidance being issued to individual industries and businesses via the
OpenSafely.la.gov
website throughout the week. In Phase 2, churches, places of worship and many more businesses will be able to operate at 50 percent capacity with social distancing, masks for public-facing employees and increased sanitation. In addition, the state strongly recommends that businesses consider offering temperature checks before a person can enter and posting the symptoms of COVID-19 outside with a request that symptomatic individuals not enter.
The Governor was advised by public health experts that Louisiana has seen decreasing reports of COVID-like illness, decreasing new case counts especially as a percentage of tests administered, and decreasing hospitalizations in almost every area of the state. A few areas of concern still exist, but through contact tracing and frequent testing, the state is able to quickly track increases and work to prevent large outbreaks.
- Click here to view the data from the Office of Public Health used to make the re-opening decision.
Phase 2 in Louisiana will last at least 21 days. Because more businesses will be open to more patrons and because the CDC has clarified that the illness is most likely to spread through the air and not on surfaces, the order will strongly encourage individuals to wear masks whenever they are in public and will recommend that people who enter businesses that are not taking proper precautions consider the risk to their health and their family in doing so.
The order specifies that Louisianans should still stay at home as much as
possible to avoid unnecessary exposure to COVID-19. People who are at a higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 should still stay at home unless they are traveling outside of the home for an essential activity, like obtaining food, medicine or medical care.
OVERVIEW OF BUSINESSES THAT CAN OPEN:
Businesses that will be able to open at 50 percent occupancy include:
- Restaurants, cafes and coffee shops
- Shopping malls (including food courts, following restaurant guidance)
- Gyms and fitness centers
- Barber and beauty shops and nail salons
- Movie theaters
- Racetracks (not open to spectators)
- Museums (including children’s museums), zoos, aquariums (no tactile exhibits)
- Bars and breweries with LDH food permits
- Massage establishments, spas, and tattoo establishments (under strict guidance from LDH), esthetician services (under strict guidance from the Cosmetology Board)
- Pool halls, bowling alleys and skating rinks (children must be accompanied by an adult)
- Event Centers and wedding venues
- Outdoor playgrounds and play centers (children must be accompanied by an adult)
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
- Business and faith leaders can visit OpenSafely.la.gov to receive guidance and updates from the State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Louisiana Department of Health. Businesses that require approval of reopening plans will be notified by the State Fire Marshal’s Office or the Louisiana Department of Health.
- For a guide listing businesses that can be open at any given time, visit gov.louisiana.gov/page/can-this-business-open.
Click
here
for the governor's official order.
Click
here
f
or the Governor's PSA about Phase One.
Click
here
for the Gov. John Bel Edwards' message to the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing.
Please click on the following links to gain access to the available resources, announcements, and information.
- Information for the public click here
- Information for health care providers click here
- Louisiana Health Message Alerts click here
- Behavioral health resources click here
- Updates from the Office of the Governor click here
To receive text notifications from the Governor’s Office pertaining to COVID-19,
text
'LACOVID' to
67283
and
sign up for phone calls by going to
Smart911
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Landmark Legislation Named in Honor of April Dunn;
Governor's Office creates a webpage in her Memory
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Legislation that formally renames the landmark Act 833 of the 2014 Regular Session to the the
April Dunn Act
has passed unanimously through both the House and Senate Chambers.
HB 848
by Representative Ted James honors the legacy and advocacy of the late Chairperson of the Developmental Disabilities Council and Senior Coordinator of the Governor's Office of Disability Affairs. April became the face and driving force behind Act 833 which provides alternative graduation paths for students with disabilities.
The Governor's Office created a
webpage
in memory of April Dunn which includes news coverage on her life and articles about her work and honors.
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Save the Date!
Governor's Office of Disability Affairs Conference
July 23 - 24th
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The GODA Conference will feature interactive sessions on education, employment, healthcare, housing, transportation, and emergency preparedness, among other topics.
Be on the lookout for more information including registration.
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Governor's Advisory Council on Disability Affairs
scheduled to meet June 16-17
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The Governor’s Advisory Council on Disability Affairs (GACDA) will host its quarterly meetings on June 16 and 17 via Zoom. GACDA meetings are open to the public.
The GACDA committee meetings scheduled to meet on June 16 are Legislative (10:00am), Education (12:00pm), Housing (1:30pm), and Transportation (3:00pm). Register to receive the link to the June 16 meetings
here
.
The GACDA Accessibility committee meeting (10:00am) and the Full GACDA meeting (12:00pm) will be held on June 17. RRegister to receive the link to the June 17 meetings
here
.
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Regular Legislative Session ended and First Extraordinary Session has begun
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The 2020 Regular Legislative Session ended on June 1. Notable legislation that was passed:
HB 361
by Representative Paula Davis which allows for Supported Decision Making
agreements as a less restrictive means to interdiction.
HB 848
by Representative Ted James names
Act No. 833 of the 2014 Regular Session, which provides for alternative pathways for grade level promotion and graduation of certain special education students, the April Dunn Act.
SB 252
by Senator Troy Carter requires driver education to include instruction relative to accessible parking and accessible parking aisles.
Louisiana Legislature has convened the 2020 First Extraordinary Session at 6:01 pm on Monday June 1st. The final adjournment shall be no later than 6:00 pm on June 30, 2020.
There are many important legislative instruments that will be considered during this Extraordinary Session.
To keep abreast of all the 2020 Extraordinary Session activities please click
here
. Individuals who would like to participate in session activities while the stay at home order is in place are encouraged to contact their legislator(s) by clicking
here
.
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Governor's Office Partners with Disability Organizations Across State to Provide Masks
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The Governor's Office has partnered with Families Helping Families Centers and Independent Living Centers across the state to distribute face masks to their communities. Thanks to
the Louisiana National Guard and their help with delivering,
Centers should receive the masks during the first week of June.
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The Louisiana Developmental Disabilities Council seeks your input for planning future goals and activities for the next Five-Year (2022 - 2026) Plan. Please let the Council know what issues and topics related to individuals with developmental disabilities that matter most to you and your family. Your input will help the Council decide on what to focus on in developing goals and objectives.
All responses to this survey are anonymous.
Results will be combined and provided to Council Members and our federal partners for required reporting purposes.
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Exceptionallives.org has created a web-page to share tips and ideas for fun things to do at home with kids, how to manage your own mental health while home-bound with your children, and educational resources - all designed for families with children with special needs during this global pandemic.
Please click
here
to gain access.
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The Governor's Office of Elderly Affairs has created a quarterly newsletter entitled "Elder News" to be distributed to constituents, stakeholders, and the community.
To gain access to the Governor's Office of Elderly Affairs newsletter please click
here.
To subscribe to the "Elder News" newsletter or to receive more information please email JARoss@goea.la.gov.
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LATAN is now offering Teletherapy Services which enable interested parties to have access to Occupational Therapist without leaving their homes.
Furthermore these services feature:
- Individualized evaluations with patients
- Customized interventions for patients to resume or pursue increased independence with daily occupations (self-care, leisure, work, etc.)
- Recommendations for lifestyle design:Home exercise programs for increasing overall strength and stress reduction
- Assistance in scheduling daily tasks to increase healthy habits for managing chronic diseases
- Home assessments for safety and fall prevention techniques
To schedule an appointment please call (800) 270-6185 or click
here
.
Medicaid, Medicare and some commercial insurances are accepted. Sliding Fee available, and patients may be seen regardless of an inability to pay.
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GODA Spotlight
Chef Lenny Martinsen
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Executive Chef Lenny Martinsen was the recipient of the 2019 Employer of the Year Award GOLD Award. He is the Executive Chef of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. Prior to the COVID event, Chef Lenny shared the following message:
"Our team here in New Orleans is getting ready already for Super Bowl LVIII in 2024. Our team is very active at the Smoothie King Center with the Pelicans, who are making a serious push for the playoffs. I am also involved with the NOLA Gold Rugby team at the Shrine on Airline.
I am looking forward to our next Saints season. I will start our hiring process this summer, and will be looking to expand our program for future employees with disabilities on our culinary and stewarding team.
A few words of encouragement…
Everyone is special and has something to offer. I especially like to share this with parents of special needs children. Working with these individuals has made a difference in our work place, and I am thankful that we at Centerplate can make a difference for these individuals. What I have seen and experienced is how they have made a difference for me and many of my staff. We have learned to be more patient, to slow down, show compassion, and enjoy the little victories of the workday. Working with persons with disabilities has made us all better managers, and our team members better coworkers, and for this I say thank you!"
Your story has the ability to heal, unify, and empower others. If you'd like to share your story for inclusion in our monthly newsletter please email
disability.affairs@la.gov
.
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