Governor Edwards extended the current Phase Three pandemic public health restrictions until December 4th.
This comes as opponents are challenging the orders in court. Edwards said it’s vital we continue to keep our caseloads down as the rest of the country experiences explosive increases.
“When you make progress that is not an indication that you need to remove the measures that actually allow you to make the progress,” said Edwards.
Next Thursday a Baton Rouge Judge will hear arguments in a case determining the constitutionality of a State House petition that claims to override the public health emergency declaration.
Fifteen states set new daily records for cases yesterday and the nation as a whole saw 100,000 new positive tests. Governor Edwards noted we’re actually doing pretty well comparatively.
“While that is good news that we are 44th in the country it is not because we have improved our standing, it is because of the deterioration of other states’ standing,” said Edwards.
Edwards said our current plateau of cases and hospitalizations is higher than the early summer trough that saw us at our lowest transmission rates since the pandemic began.
Assistant State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter said much of the rise is being traced back to small, intimate gatherings between friends and family where people aren’t masking up.
“When people are with others that they feel close to they tend to let their guard down a little bit and not recognize that the risk is just as much in that setting as it is elsewhere,” said Kanter.
Kanter said Thanksgiving is right around the corner and our current standing is tenuous at best. He says residents should begin asking themselves if getting together is really worth it.
“There will be a risk during Thanksgiving that families really do need to account for and think hard about what the right decision for their family will be,” said Kanter.
Louisiana hospitalization numbers have been slowly rising and are now at 636 their highest number since mid-September.
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