Other coronavirus developments: Nicholls moving online for lectures

Nicholls State University has decided it will teach lecture-based classes online beginning Monday and for the foreseeable future, the university said Thursday in another response to the spread of the coronavirus.
Labs will continue to meet as scheduled. The university will remain open and opera-tional, and faculty and staff members should continue to work normal schedules.
Faculty will be available to assist in this process, and technology labs will be available for students without access to a computer or internet.
“We realize some students living on campus may choose to return home,” the university said in a press release, but we understand this isn’t possible for everyone. Our residential life housing and dining services will remain open and other campus services will be available.”
Also Thursday:
— Vitalant, 1234 David Drive No. 102 in Morgan City, is hosting a St. Patrick’s Day blood drive Monday and Tuesday in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthy blood donors are strongly urged to give blood.
Coming off the heels of the cold and flu season now coupled with the COVID-19 virus, donations are down but blood usage goes unchanged. Currently, all blood types and components are needed, with a significant need for platelets and type O blood donations.
Vitalant is asking individ-uals who, within the last 28 days, have been in a country with sustained widespread COVID-19 outbreaks as defined by the US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, not to give blood.
—Louisiana House Speaker Clay Schexnayder and Senate President Page Cortez worked out a plan to complete constitutionally mandate functions, such as passing a balanced budget, if the Legislature’s work is disrupted by coronavirus precautions.
The leadership is “implementing protocols to protect the wellbeing of all legisla-tors, staff, and visitors, and have agreed on a joint legislative plan to pass the necessary budget-related bills as a contingency package in the event risk of the virus grows,” according to a news release.
—The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections has suspended prisoner visitation, tours, and volunteering for 30 days at Louisiana’s eight state-run prisons, and has indefinitely postponed Angola’s spring rodeo.
While there have been no confirmed cases COVID-19 inside of these institutions, the department has made this decision to protect the vulnerable incarcerated populations, staff, and to help reduce the spread of this disease. The department will reevaluate in 30 days visitation, volunteers, tours and the spring rodeo.
—The number of confirmed and presumptive coronavirus cases in the United States jumped by a third Thursday 1,215, the CDC said Thursday af-ternoon. Thirty-six people have died, and cases have been reported in 42 states and the District of Columbia.
—Major league baseball canceled the remainder of spring training and pushed back Opening Day for at least two weeks.
The NCAA canceled the men’s and women’s championship tournaments for basketball and other winter sports. The National Hockey League suspended its season.