Gov. John Bel Edwards announced this morning that Louisiana will be moving into phase three of its reopening plan on Friday.
The announcement comes on the eve of the expiration of the current phase two order, which has been extended several times over the past few months as the state struggled to slow the spread of COVID-19.
More information about the phase three proclamation and the criteria used to make the decision to leave phase two will be shared in a news conference tomorrow. The governor and staff are visiting parishes recovering from Hurricane Laura this afternoon and will work into the night on the proclamation, Edwards says.
“What I’m prepared to say today is that the data is positive enough that we will be going into phase three tomorrow,” Edwards says, calling the decision the “hardest decision” he’s made thus far in the pandemic. “We’re still No. 1 in the country on cases per capita, but we have made progress as of late, and that’s why we made this decision.”
Because of additional school districts moving to host classes in person, Hurricane Laura and Labor Day, Edwards says state officials are going to be somewhat anxious the next few weeks until the data shows how those activities are impacting the state’s coronavirus figures.
“If we want to be successful and not move back, we do need everyone to understand that phase three is not some elimination of all restrictions,” Edwards says.
