With Coronavirus sweeping the globe, it’s definitely a scary time for all of us. Families are preparing for the worst, everyone seems to be analyzing everyone else’s coughs and sneezes, and schools and events are shutting down across the country in an effort to control the spread of the virus. Today, President Trump announced that America is under a national state of emergency until the virus has been controlled and possibly eradicated. As for our home state of Louisiana, Gov. John Bel Edwards has declared that all public schools K-12 and daycares are to be closed as of today until April 13th and public gatherings of 250 people or more will also be postponed until April 13th. Gov. Edwards also planned to postpone the presidential primary until June. According to the Louisiana Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control, or CDC, there are 36 presumptive cases in Louisiana but none have been officially confirmed by the CDC and there have been no deaths in Louisiana. Most of the presumptive cases are in South Louisiana with the most coming from Orleans Parish.
Stores across the country are limiting the purchases of paper products, such as paper towels and toilet paper, as well as cases of water so that more customers will have the opportunity to stock up. The Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, recently released a list of approved coronavirus disinfectants that will help citizens remain as healthy as possible. The list includes Clorox Multi Surface Cleaner + Bleach, Clorox Disinfection Bathroom Cleaner, Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, Lysol Clean & Fresh Multi-Surface Cleaner, Lysol Disinfectant Max Cover Mist, and Purell Professional Surface Disinfectant Wipes. Some tips for staying healthy during this time are washing your hands regularly with soap and warm water, staying away from others that are sick, coughing/sneezing into your arm or elbow, and keeping your hands/fingers out of your mouth, face, nose, and eyes.
Other Closures in the ArkLaTex:
Schools & Universities
- Broken Bow ISD cancels classes for Friday, Mar. 13; School is scheduled to resume Monday, Mar. 23.
- Southfield School closes Monday, Mar. 16 to Friday, Mar. 27; Southfield’s faculty is scheduled to meet Monday to prepare online learning for students, which will be provided Tuesday, Mar. 17 to Friday, Mar. 20.
- Wiley College cancels all on campus activity while Marshall continues to monitor COVID-19.
- East Texas Baptist University is moving all courses online from March 16-22. Normal classes are expected to resume March 23.
- Northwestern State University will suspend all in-person classes effective at the end of the day Friday, March 13, and transition to online instruction and other remote learning alternatives beginning Thursday, March 19.
- All spring sports competition by teams in the Southland Conference, which includes NSU, will be canceled through March 30. Additional information on the possible scheduling of athletic events on future dates will be provided as it becomes available.
- NSU has suspended all international travel for students, faculty and staff.
- Louisiana State University is moving classes online through rest of spring semester.
- Southern University Shreveport – No in-person classes will be held the week of March 16. However, alternative instruction will be made available for students. Spring Break will be held March 23-27. Classes will resume remotely on March 30.
- Southern Arkansas University Magnolia campus has cancelled all face-to-face classes scheduled for the week of March 16-20 prior to spring break March 23-27. Please note that students currently enrolled in online courses will complete course work as required March 16-20.
- Texas A&M University – Texarkana has announced that all classes will be delivered online beginning Monday, March 23. All athletic events have been suspended as have all university and non-university events on the TAMUT campus. The university’s spring break was already scheduled for the week of March 16-20.
- Grambling State University has suspended all athletic practices, sporting events, travel and in-person recruiting until further notice.
- LA Tech University transition to an all online/other alternative method of course delivery beginning Monday, Mar. 16.
- Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Shreveport are closed from Monday, March 16 through Friday, April 10, 2020.
- Central School in Grand Cane, LA will be closed next week.
City & Parish/County Services
- Shreveport City Marshal’s Office Amnesty Day postponed until further notice.
- City of Shreveport cancels all SPAR youth league games and Senior & Adult Activities.
- On-site visitation for inmates at Caddo Correctional Center has been suspended until further notice in an effort to prevent the coronavirus from entering the facility.
- Visitation at the Claiborne Parish Detention Center has been temporarily suspended.
- All face-to-face jail visitation has been temporarily halted in DeSoto Parish. Accommodations are in place for visitors to chat with our inmates via kiosk and/or video.
- Governor Abbott issued an Emergency Disaster Declaration for the State of Texas. Jail visitation in Gregg County is suspended until the termination of the Disaster Declaration.
Other
- The following Caddo Parish Parks and Recreation events have been cancelled: Diabetes and Kidney Education Workshop,scheduled for Saturday, March 14 @ 9:00am; Active Living Every Day scheduled for Tuesday, March 24 @ 9:30am Galilee Baptist Church (1500 Pierre Ave., Shreveport) and 10:00am Legions Hill Community Center (1004 South Purdue St-Vivian, LA); Fit and Strong scheduled for Tuesday, March 24 @ 9:30am/ Morningstar Baptist Church (5340 Jewella, Shreveport, LA); In addition, the following event has also been postponed: Tails To Trails Saturday, March 21 @ 11:00am / Walter B. Jacobs Nature Park.
- All programs at Shreve Memorial Library, outreach events and meeting room use have been cancelled until further notice.
- Chimp Haven has canceled its Chimpanzee Discovery Day. While Chimp Haven remains a low-risk area at this time, the sanctuary decided to cancel the March 14 Chimpanzee Discovery Day out of an abundance of caution.
- R.W. Norton Art Gallery & BLOOM! Festival – The museum will be closed from Saturday, March 14 – Sunday, April 19. The gardens will remain open. BLOOM! Festival has been cancelled.
- All Louisiana Redbud Festival activities will be cancelled for this year.
- Crawfest 2020 in Shreveport, LA has been officially postponed.
- Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour are proactively being rescheduled. The new date for Bossier City is October 17, 2020.
- The Cinderella Project cancels Prom Dress Giveaway
- Broadmoor Baptist Church suspends church activities through the government’s prescribed date of Monday, April 13, 2020.
- First United Methodist Church – Shreveport is suspending worship services and other activities through April 13 per the Governor’s Directive.
- The Bowie County Sheriff’s Office will be following the advice of the Texas Commission on Jail Standards and suspending all jail visitations until further notice.
- Statewide Grant Writing Workshop that was set for Monday, March 16 in collaboration with North Shreveport Business Association has been canceled.
- KTBS 3’s Weather Watcher Training cancelled
