Edwards highlights good, bad of past year

In his annual end-of-the-year conference Thursday, Gov. John Bel Edwards highlighted the good and the bad of 2021.
Edwards reviewed the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2021 hurricane season, and investments made across the state.
According to Edwards, 2.5 million Louisiana residents have received a COVID-19 vaccine. 4.7 million doses have been administered in the state. He said half a million residents have received a booster shot.
He said in 2021, Louisiana lost 8,000 people to COVID-19 and had more than half a million infections reported.
Louisiana has lost a total of 14,918 people since the pandemic began, according to Edwards.
Edwards touched on coastal protection and restoration efforts made this year across the state. He also highlighted projects that will tackle clean energy efforts.
In his speech, the governor said Louisiana invested in projects that total more than $20 billion in new capital investment despite the challenges of the pandemic.
He said he signed key legislation that would grant fair access to opportunity in Louisiana, and also reiterated that the state passed a sound budget.
After another year of devastating hurricanes, Edwards said that Louisiana has deployed more than 2,500 trailers to hurricane victims and also announced an $11.3 million housing rehab program in Lake Charles.
Edwards also announced that the state made strides in infrastructure investments, highlighting multiple construction projects across the state.
Edwards said Louisiana is slated to receive nearly $6 billion over the next five years through the federal Infrastructure and Jobs Act.
He ended his speech asking Louisiana to pray with him for a better and brighter year in 2022.