BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards intensified restrictions statewide Monday in an effort to combat the coronavirus, ordering bars and movie theaters to close and limiting restaurants to delivery and take-out only, as the number of positive tests for the virus topped 100. State legislators agreed to temporarily suspend their lawmaking session.
The Democratic governor said the new constraints, which last until April 13, will take effect at midnight. Casinos also will have to shutter, and gatherings of 50 people or more will be banned. Edwards warned that situation will be reevaulated a week before business operations can resume as normal, to determine if the restrictions should be continued further.
“What we’re learning is that it can take two weeks for symptoms to appear. We believe we are still unearthing community spread that’s been around for the past several weeks, which means it is a statewide problem that requires statewide solutions,” the governor said in a statement.
The latest figures released from the Louisiana Department of Health showed 132 positive tests for the COVID-19 disease caused by the virus, with most of those in Orleans Parish. Two people have died in Louisiana.
In hopes of slowing the spread of the virus across Louisiana, Edwards last week closed K-12 schools and delayed the state’s presidential primaries. His actions are mirroring similar decisions by governors in other states.
The Louisiana Legislature initially planned to continue its work in the second week of a three-month legislative session, but that prompted an outcry about the public health risk of hundreds of people gathered in the state Capitol building. By midmorning, the legislative leadership decided to temporarily adjourn until March 31 due to coronavirus concerns.
“With every decision we make, we are balancing the health and welfare of our citizens, staff, and legislators with our constitutional responsibilities,” Senate President Page Cortez, a Lafayette Republican, said in a statement.
The House and Senate were expected to vote for the two-week suspension Monday afternoon.
A list of advocacy groups urged the delay, while some lawmakers refused to attend. New Orleans state Sen. Karen Carter Peterson, the head of the Louisiana Democratic Party, said she was staying home, posting messages on Twitter that described it as irresponsible for the session to continue.
“Tired of explaining to people who should be paying attention and looking out for the masses why we shouldn’t be convening on non urgent matters,” Peterson tweeted. “Just sad they won’t follow the recommendations of the health care professionals.”
For most people, coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. People with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover, according to the World Health Organization.
In New Orleans, Mayor LaToya Cantrell chastised people who were ignoring the ban on large public gatherings. Meanwhile, state offices that handle food stamps, welfare payments and other social services were closed to the public in the Orleans Parish area, and some motor vehicle offices closed as a precaution. State agencies are encouraging people to do their business by phone or online.
Because of the cluster of cases in New Orleans, at least one Baton Rouge hospital, Our Lady of the Lake, announced that no one who has visited New Orleans or neighboring Jefferson Parish in the last 14 days will be allowed to enter the facility.
By AP reporter Melinda Deslatte
