Governor John Bel Edwards extended the state’s stay at home order another two weeks Monday afternoon.
At a press conference Monday afternoon, Edwards said while the state’s overall case numbers are declining, there are still several regions where cases and hospitalizations are either climbing or have plateaued. He singled out Region 2, Region 4, and Region 8 -- Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Northeast Louisiana, respectively.
“So obviously there’s a lot of good work going on here, it’s just not enough that we feel comfortable,” he said.
Edwards said two things need to happen in order for the stay at home order to be lifted: numbers need to start falling in those areas, and testing and contact tracing need to ramp up.
Edwards said he’s optimistic those things will happen by the time the stay at home order expires on May 15.
Monday’s stay-at-home extension also includes some new rules. For one, all businesses that interact with the public are required to have employees wear masks. Second, people picking up food at restaurants can eat at tables outside, as long as they socially distance. And third, though malls remain closed, stores at malls may open for curbside delivery.
Edwards encouraged business owners to use the next two weeks get their businesses ready to reopen under new restrictions, and to make sure they verify details like their permitted occupancy.
