Governor Edwards will announce whether the state will further lift COVID restrictions this afternoon at a 3:30 PM press conference.
Governor Edwards wouldn’t tip his hand as to whether or not the state would join our neighbors in Texas, Mississippi, and Arkansas in dropping the mask mandate.
WWL First News will carry live coverage of Governor Edwards' press conference. Click here to listen live.
“Over the last week we have seen some trends that are not favorable but overall the baseline numbers remain low,” said Edwards.
About a million and a half Louisianans have now received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine but the number of new COVID vaccinations every week has fallen to about a third of its mid-March peak.
President Biden said he hopes for a return to relative normal by the 4th of July. Governor Edwards says that’s a good goal to set but we’ll need to continue the vaccine campaign to get to it.
“I am optimistic that we are going to get there, I have promised my momma that we are going to have a big Fourth of July something-or-other, but I happen to know that she is vaccinated too,” said Edwards.
Governor Edwards said we’re making good progress fighting the pandemic but the long-term fate of some COVID restrictions may be somewhat out of our hands.
“What happens in Argentina, and in Spain, and in Israel, and India, and everywhere is important ultimately to what happens here in the United States and in Louisiana,” said Edwards.
The ongoing public health emergency declaration is set to expire Wednesday.
