Governor John Bel Edwards responds to the federal class-action lawsuit filed against him by several bar owners in the Acadiana region concerning his emergency order banning on-premise alcohol consumption. Edwards says they have a right to their day in court, but believes his actions are the right thing to do.
“I believe at the end of the day that the court will fully understand that not only do I have the authority under the Constitution, the laws of the United States to do what I’ve done, but what I’ve done is absolutely essential,” said Edwards.
The state health department has traced 464 confirmed coronavirus infections to 41 bars. Edwards says bar closures were a necessity in spread mitigation and have the support of the federal government.
“This an official position of the White House Coronavirus Task Force that bars need to be closed and that’s unfortunate. I know that impacts negatively the livelihoods of a number of people,” said Edwards.
Bar owners feel they have been unfairly singled out, but Edwards says data from all over the world further validates the decision.
“It has been determined by healthcare professionals that there are some environments, some venues that are so conducive to the spread of the coronavirus that they really cannot be done safely and are bar rooms are one of those, unfortunately,” said Edwards.
Edwards banned on-premise consumption at bars earlier this month after a spike in cases following their reopening.
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