{"id":221593,"date":"2020-04-09T17:50:30","date_gmt":"2020-04-09T22:50:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=221593"},"modified":"2020-04-09T17:19:08","modified_gmt":"2020-04-09T22:19:08","slug":"louisiana-cracks-down-abortion-ban-elective-procedures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/louisiana-cracks-down-abortion-ban-elective-procedures\/","title":{"rendered":"Louisiana cracks down on abortion businesses violating ban on elective procedures"},"content":{"rendered":"
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On Thursday, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry activated the state\u2019s COVID-19 Task Force to investigate possible violations of a statewide ban on elective and non-emergency procedures.\u00a0<\/span>According to a Louisiana Department of Justice (DOJ) <\/span>press release<\/span><\/a>, Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) referrals resulted in the activation of the COVID-19 Task Force to perform \u201cfact-finding examinations of several Louisiana facilities\u201d to include an endoscopy center and \u201coutpatient abortion clinics in Shreveport and Baton Rouge.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Attorney General Landry indicated that all instances of non-compliance with LDH directives \u201cnot only put patients and staff at risk, they also divert much needed Personal Protective Equipment away from the brave medical professionals currently treating Louisiana\u2019s coronavirus patients.\u201d Though some in the abortion industry have attempted to claim on one hand that very little PPE is needed for surgical abortions<\/a>, on the other hand, abortion businesses have been publicly pleading for PPE donations<\/a> — PPE that is needed to help medical personnel fight the pandemic.<\/span><\/p>\n

READ:\u00a0Protecting the weakest: These states demand an end to surgical abortions during the COVID-19 pandemic<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) published an <\/span>order<\/span><\/a> on March 21 in response to the coronavirus pandemic, directing \u201cthat any and all medical and surgical procedures SHALL be postponed until further notice.\u201d The only two exceptions to the order included treatment for an \u201cemergency medical condition\u201d or treatment to prevent \u201cfurther harms from underlying condition or disease.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite <\/span>initial reports<\/span><\/a> of compliance by Louisiana\u2019s abortion businesses, a Live Action <\/span>investigation<\/span><\/a> on March 27 found that Hope Medical Group for Women in Shreveport — one of the state\u2019s three abortion businesses — continued to schedule abortions. <\/span><\/p>\n