NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said he will ease public gathering restrictions aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19 when current restrictions expire Friday, but he did not immediately detail exactly which restrictions would be lifted.
Details on Louisiana’s version of “Phase Three” restrictions would be given Friday, Edwards said at a live-streamed news conference Thursday in Baton Rouge. He would not answer questions about the new regulations, except to say a statewide mask mandate would remain in place.
Edwards’ announcement comes as the rate of new cases, percentage of positive tests and hospitalizations have declined. And it follows Edwards’ publicly expressed concerns about another surge in cases following the return of students to school and college campuses and the recent Labor Day holiday weekend.
“This was probably the hardest decision that I’ve made thus far,” Edwards said, referring to the six months since the disease first appeared in Louisiana.
Current regulations, set to expire Friday, limit restaurants to 50% capacity for in-person dining, restrict bars to takeout and delivery only and place occupancy limits on gyms, salons and other businesses deemed nonessential. Face coverings are required for anyone age 8 and older, with medical exceptions. Indoor gatherings above 50 people are banned.
The state was an early hot spot for outbreaks of the new coronavirus in the spring and saw a resurgence in the summer.
White House guidelines for Phase Three openings include allowing bars to operate with “increased standing room occupancy.” But states are free to adopt their own regulations and it was unclear if Edwards would lift the closure order on bars in the state — a closure being fought in federal court by groups of bar owners in southeast and southwest Louisiana.
The easing would not necessarily affect New Orleans, where Mayor LaToya Cantrell has consistently instituted somewhat tougher restrictions than the state.
By AP reporter Kevin McGill
