Thanks everyone for joining in today. Earlier today, i participated in , telephone conference actually, a Video Conference with the White House Coronavirus task force, with the Vice President participating in that meeting, with also the president. We were able to visit with him. And also, earlier this morning, i had the opportunity to have a phone call with secretary of the veterans administration, robert wilke, and renewed our request that we forwarded through fema for supplemental assistance from the v. A. Potentially with respect to Surge Capacity of hospitals here in louisiana, looking primarily towards new orleans. And last night, i was able to have a conversation with fema administrator, pete gainer, on the most pressing needs we have in louisiana, all of which relate to our Surge Capacity. Principally, as i mentioned to you yesterday, those being ventilators. Also, p. P. E. And other requests. I am pleased to announce and in fact, the president announced this during the call wit
[captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2020] everyone inrnoon, for tuning in and listening to this press briefing. I guess we have a little bit of good news and that is that the case count that we announced today is not as drastic as the one we saw yesterday. But it is still very concerning. Is 1147 ase increase opposed to the one yesterday of 2700. However, we did reach a grim milestone because we now have more than 10,000 cases statewide. 10,297 to be exact. We had an increase of 60 deaths. That increases much more in line with what we expect to see day today, not the 42 we saw yesterday. Thats what im trying to communicate to you. But the rate of spread, the number of cases will always depend upon the degree to which our people are complying with the stayathome order, with all of the social distancing guidelines we are putting out and minimizing social contact. We knew and have been telling people that getting through this crisis would resemble a marathon, not a sprint.
Or wherever you have to be wherever you happen to be tuning in on your radio or television or your computer. By thebe followed secretary of the department of children and family services. She has updates on nutrition and snap benefits. Doctorstill have the here to answer specific questions about health care testing, that sort of thing. I want to start out by thanking the medical professionals of all types who are working all across louisiana aerobically every single day. I want to thank all of the Health Care Professionals working heroically every single day. I know that today President Trump declared it National Doctors day and i want to join him in saluting our doctors and thanking them. They are absolutely on the front lines today and every day. We would not be able to come close to managing this emergency without our frontline physicians. We still have the same imperatives we have been working on for the last few weeks, to flatten the curve, slow the spread of this disease, and mak
That meeting in was also the president. We were able to visit with him. Earlier this morning, i had the opportunity to have a phone all with secretary of veterans administration, robert wilke, that we ed our request forwarded through fema for supplemental assistance from the potentially with respect to Surge Capacity of hospitals here primarily a looking towards new orleans. And last night, i was able to fema conversation with the ister pete gainer on most pressing needs we have in louisiana, all of which relates Surge Capacity. Principally, as i mentioned to you yesterday, those being ventilators. P. P. E. And other requests. Pleased to announce and in fact the president announced this during the call with all 50 as rnors today and just an aside, we have 55 governors because of territories. Governors on 50 the call today. But the president announced that our request d 250bed federal Field Hospitals. Now, these are basically beds poles. By beds i am talking about primarily cots. Themse