Today, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced that Louisiana will stay in Phase Two of reopening, as the number of COVID-19 cases and related hospitalizations have started to rise in several regions across the state. The Governor will extend his Phase Two order for another 28 days, keeping in place occupancy limits and other restrictions.
In response to this extension, the Mayor’s Office of Minden released this statement urging citizens of Minden and Webster Parish to continue the precautions that are necessary for each individual to undertake in order to help slow the spread of the virus.
“As we all know, Louisiana will remain in Phase 2 for 28 days because of the increase in COVID-19 numbers. I beg of you to take this virus seriously. Please continue to practice social distancing, wear face masks while in public and near someone who is not in your immediate household, cover your cough or sneeze, wash your hands, and if you feel sick stay at home.
Try to limit going out and being around others. I strongly advise that no one should gather in large groups if social distancing cannot be applied.”
As of today, Louisiana ranks seventh out of 23 states across the country experiencing an increase in COVID-19 positive cases. Those include the neighboring states of Texas, Arkansas, Alabama, Florida and Georgia.
“According to Louisiana Homeland Security, Webster Parish had a spike of 40 new cases last week. Webster Parish has had a total of six deaths. This is far too many. We have to be more cautious and vigilant when it comes to COVID-19, lives are at stake. The only way we can get through these troubling times is together. Together, everyone must do their part,” said Gardner.
When making the announcement about the extension, Louisiana Gov. john Bel Edwards stated, “Louisiana reached two sad milestones today as we surpassed 3,000 deaths and 50,000 positive tests in our state. Each of these Louisianans is someone’s child, sibling, parent or friend, and we mourn every one of these losses.”
“It is clear that COVID is alive and well in Louisiana, and as we see more people testing positive and admitted to hospitals, we simply are not ready to move to the next phase, and ease restrictions further as businesses open widely. Many of you are doing the right thing and I thank you for it. It’s incredibly disappointing to hear that there are still some people who refuse to wear masks in public, which puts all of us at greater risk of becoming sick. I implore Louisianans to be good neighbors, to stay at home when they are experiencing symptoms, to avoid crowds, physically distance, and to wear a mask when not around their immediate household whether inside or outside. These are simple things we can do to protect ourselves and each other.”
“While we know that increasing testing means that we will see more positive cases, we are still troubled by the rising case counts across the state, especially since around 90 percent of these new cases are coming from the community and not from congregate settings like nursing homes,” Gov. Edwards said. “It is up to all of us to check our own behaviors and to take responsibility for slowing the spread of COVID. We do not want to have to go back to a time of increased restrictions where fewer businesses could operate. It is my hope that all of us – from government officials to business owners to students – will do the right thing.”
Click here to complete a self-assessment from the Louisiana Department of Health to determine your level of risk for becoming very ill from COVID-19.
Click here to view the presentation from the Governor’s June 22 media briefing.