MONROE, La. – Multiple issues pertaining to Northeast Louisiana were mentioned during Gov. John Bel Edwards’ coronavirus press briefing on Thursday.
They include the increase in cases in Ouachita Parish, parishes looking to reopen ahead of state guidelines, and the idea of exempting Louisiana churches from emergency occupancy limits.
Ouachita Parish Cases
Gov. Edwards once again mentioned Ouachita Parish as an area of concern as the state moves toward Phase 1 of a possible reopening in mid-May.
On April 30, the Louisiana Dept. of Health reported 341 new cases of COVID-19 in Louisiana. 35 new cases were reported in Ouachita Parish, meaning about 10% of the state’s total new cases were in Ouachita Parish, according to LDH numbers.
Edwards says over the last week, Ouachita Parish has seen an increase in cases by 22%. Last Thursday, April 23, the state reported 579 total cases in Ouachita Parish. On April 30, the state reported 706 total cases.
Edwards also identified other areas of concern. He says, in the last week, East Baton Rouge Parish has seen an increase of 14%, Caddo Parish has seen an increase of 11%, and St. Tammany Parish has seen an increase of 9.8%.
The governor says symptoms, new cases and hospitalizations have to be on a downward trend across the state to meet the White House criteria to enter Phase 1 of the reopening.
“While as a state, I can say we are doing better, that’s borne out by these numbers, that is not uniform everywhere and we still have our work to do,” Edwards said
Ouachita Parish, along with the Baton Rouge area, was previously cited by the governor as an area of concern that informed the decision to extend the state’s Stay at Home order.
The governor once again encouraged residents to comply with the Stay at Home order and follow social distancing guidelines so the state can meet the White House criteria for reopening.
Parishes Opening Early
Governor Edwards also addressed the issue that some Louisiana parish leaders are thinking about allowing businesses in their parts of the state to reopen before the Stay at Home order expires.
