Louisiana Stay at Home Order Extension

· To protect the health of the Louisiana, Governor John Bel Edwards is extending the Stay at Home order until May 15; previously the order had been set to expire on April 30. · This decision is based on sound science and data and is in line with the White House guidance on a phased reopening for states. Louisiana does not meet the White House criteria, which requires declining new cases and hospitalizations, for Phase 1 right now. · All the doctors and scientists advising the Governor recommended extending the Stay at Home order, because Louisiana is still seeing increasing new cases and hospitalizations in some regions, with other regions hitting a plateau, but not declining. · As of Monday, April 27, Louisiana had confirmed more than 27,000 cases of COVID-19, with around 17,000 residents having recovered. This means that there are still at least 10,000 COVID-19 positive people in Louisiana. The important thing to understand is that they became ill during the Stay at Home order, when residents were under restrictions to not leave their homes except for essential activities. · We must be smart in reopening our economy in Louisiana. If we accelerate too quickly, we may have to slam on the brakes. That is not good for public health or for businesses. · Louisiana is ramping up its testing and contact tracing to make sure that it can control any spike in cases. Louisiana is on track to ramp up to 200,000 tests per month in May. · Louisiana is number six per capita for cases in the country and has four times the per capita case number of the neighboring state closest to us, Mississippi. · In multiple regions across Louisiana, new case counts and hospitalizations continue to increase or are flat, which is not declining, per White House guidance. · This decision protects public health and especially the health of the most vulnerable, high risk people and our health care workers. By following the Stay at Home order, we have done significant work towards flattening the curve and have saved lives. · The Governor made a responsible, science-based decision that is in line with White House recommendations, to extend the Stay at Home order while allowing health care facilities to begin doing non-elective procedures again, to support the health of all Louisianans. · If promising data trends continue, new cases and hospitalizations decline, and testing and contact tracing ramp up, Louisiana plans to move to Phase 1 on May 15. · Phase 1 lifts the Stay at Home order and eases restrictions on some public spaces like houses of worship and restaurants and allows some places that have been closed to reopen, such as salons and barber shops, but with restrictions on occupancy and strict requirements for personal distancing and masks to keep everyone safe. · We are entering a new normal. All of us will be expected to wear masks or other types of face coverings while indoors. We also have to continue stay at least six feet away from those who are not part of our household. · Wearing a mask is being a good neighbor, and in Louisiana we pride ourselves on being good neighbors. Your mask protects other people and their masks protect you. BUSINESSES: · Under the extended order, businesses that previously were directed to be closed will remain closed, including salons, bars and casinos, among other things. Places of worship will also remain limited to having no more than 10 people inside. · Businesses that are deemed essential may still be open. Non-essential retail businesses have always been able to be open with fewer than 10 people total inside and this will not change. Businesses should carefully review the order to understand how they are affected. · There will be three noteworthy changes in the new Stay at Home order, which will be issued on Friday, May 1: o Malls will remain closed to the public, but stores may open for curbside delivery of goods. o Restaurants will be allowed to open their outside areas for patrons to eat meals, without tableside service, only. o Employees of businesses that have interaction with the public must wear masks. · In addition, the general public is strongly urged to wear masks when in public. This is a recommendation of the CDC and of the Louisiana Department of Health. · When Louisiana does go to Phase 1, which it intends to do on May 15, if the state meets the White House criteria, businesses that are allowed to open will be limited 25 percent of their occupancy.