Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards today announces whether or nor the state of Louisiana proceeds to Phase 3 of reopening. Whatever the decision, the governor says people need to keep following the recommendations of the CDC and Louisiana Department of Health.
The decision is far from a foregone conclusion, with recent increases in cases in three out of nine of the state's public health regions. Gov. Edwards said the virus is still spreading, and people must do things like wear masks, stay six feet apart, and spend more time at home.
"If we do these things, we can ease restrictions and not have cases spike, but it's up to all of us," said Edwards.
Health officials say most troubling is that the increases that have appeared in recent days reflect what was happening two weeks ago, so there could be a lot more coronavirus infections active right now.
"You see an increase in cases, and an increase in tests, just like in region four (the Acadiana parishes), that tells us there is an increase in spread going on in those communities," said Assistant Health Secretary Dr. Alex Billioux.
Dr. Billioux said the flattening of the curve in what was once a hotspot shows Louisianans have the discipline to keep the spread of the disease under control
"That is the work of the Louisiana people," he said. "That is people taking to heart the advice that you were getting from public health officials, the governor, the stay at home order, and had a turnaround story like almost nowhere else in the country."
Health officials spent the weekend poring over the data as it came in, to form a basis for today's announcement.
You can listen to today's announcement live here on WWL.com
