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BATON ROUGE — Governor John Bel Edwards extended Louisiana’s Stay at Home order until May 15 to continue to slow the spread of COVID-19. Louisiana does not currently meet the White House criteria for entering Phase 1 of reopening.
While Louisiana has seen positive, improving trends statewide in terms of new case growth and new hospitalizations, in several regions across the state, new cases and hospitalizations continue to increase or to remain at an elevated plateau. The White House criteria calls for declining COVID-19-like illnesses, declining case numbers and declining hospitalizations.
Now, the Department of Health is sharing data for each region of the state.

COVID-19-Like Illness (CLI)

CLI is calculated as a percentage of emergency room visits and is reported to the Department by facilities. As of this past weekend when this data was last updated, CLI was decreasing in all the regions.

Cases

Cases are reviewed using epidemic curves provided by the Centers for Disease Control. These specific CDC epi curves calculate the 3-day moving average of daily changes in incidence of infection per 100,000 people; each column represents the day-to-day difference in the 3-day average and is then color-coded based on the slope and low or high incidence. These curves include cases through April 24.
The data shows four areas where we see cases increasing or plateauing: Regions 2 (Baton Rouge area), 4 (Acadiana) and 8 (Monroe) are increasing; Region 9 is plateauing.

Hospitalizations

Hospitalizations are measured using hospitalizations per capita reported to the Department of Health. Hospitalization charts reflect data through April 30, and we are seeing progress.
Our data shows areas that we must continue to monitor: hospitalizations in Regions 2 (Baton Rouge) and 8 (Monroe) are increasing. Hospitalizations are plateauing in Region 6 (Central).

Some businesses can have a soft opening, but some can not open at all, which has those businesses frustrated and upset.
Bar owners, hair salons, theaters, and gyms are not allowed to have soft openings or have curbside pickup.
On Monday, those owners were hoping to hear good news from Gov. John Bel Edwards. They were hoping to hear from Edwards that Louisiana’s economy is reopening, and everyone goes back to work.
Instead, they heard that certain businesses could not reopen until May 15. What that means is certain businesses will have to remain closed for another three weeks.
That was not suitable news for business owners who have been closed since the middle of March.
Three Vermilion Parish business owners were not happy with the news of having to remain closed for three more weeks.
Carl Hollier is the owner of the Olympus Wellness and Fitness Center in Nunez, and Jill LeBlanc is co-owner of SNAP Fitness in Abbeville. Both have had to close their doors and are losing revenue each day they remain closed.
“As a small business owner, forced to close since March 16, and remain closed by the Governor’s mandate until May 15 or later, it is an economical and financial strain, which we may not be able to recover,” said LeBlanc. “Allowing selective businesses to stay open and others to randomly have ‘soft-openings’ or to remain closed, in my opinion, is hypocrisy. We are suffering at the hands of political decisions. I sincerely believe I could be providing a safe haven for people to fight this pandemic, both physically and mentally. The heart and soul of Snap Fitness is community and comradery, and we all need both now more than ever.”
Hollier feels the same way as LeBlanc in having to remain closed.
“With all due respect and concern for everyone’s position and feelings on the ‘Stay at Home’ order and business closures that if you have never owned a business, you do not understand our struggles in this unprecedented situation we all face,” Hollier said. “I could fully respect anyone’s right to not frequent any of the businesses currently closed by the ‘Stay at Home’ order, but for government to close law-abiding private businesses, I can’t accept that, especially without even given a chance to provide a safe facility.
“Business income was taken away but financial obligations remain. Those who are still working I applaud you and respect all workers, but please be empathetic to the plight of your local businesses with no income but financial obligations.”
Matthew Trahan has cleaned and recleaned City Bar in Maurice. The bar has been open since 1927 or 93 years. For hurricanes, the maximum the bar would close would be for a week to 10 days. It will be at least two months by the time the bar reopens (on May 15).
He said the last six weeks have been a vacation that seems never to end. Hearing the new date of May 15 did not sit too well with him. Trahan has trouble understanding why large businesses in the state can open, but others can’t.
“I don’t understand how we can allow the Walmart’s and Lowes and some others to pile in people but small business (local) some can’t even open with 10 people,” Trahan said. “I also don’t understand why parts of Louisiana that don’t have significant issues have to follow the same guidelines as New Orleans who didn’t follow any stay at home orders in the beginning.
“If this continues too much longer, they will kill the small local businessman everywhere in this state,” said Trahan. “Some of them will have enough, and they’re at the age of retirement. They are just going to close down. The people that have been hit the hardest are going to be the bars, gyms, hairstylist, and restaurants because restaurants aren’t making what they should with their drive-through very few are.”

Amid frustrated groans from many furloughed workers and many in the business community, Governor John Bel Edwards took the advice of his cabinet and healthcare experts Monday and announced, "I am extending the Stay-at-Home order from April 30 to May 15."  Edwards said he is trying to strike the right balance between public health and economic health, explaining that, since Louisiana depends heavily on tourism, conventions and sports fans, any spike or relapse of COVID-19 cases could be doubly fatal to the state's economy.
    Less than 48 hours after the extension, Governor Edwards was sitting side-by-side with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, the only Democratic governor in the Deep South meeting with the nation's top Republican.  As they sat in gold fabric chairs flanking the executive fireplace, before them on facing settees were Vice President Mike Pence; Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief immunologist leading the White House Coronavirus Task Force; Dr. Deborah Birx, White House COVID Response Coordinator; Dr. Blythe Adamson, health scientist; and Dr. Alex Billioux, assistant secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health.
"John Bel and I," explained the president, "it looked like Louisiana was going to be missed for a while [by the Coronavirus].  It was not registering and then all of a sudden, Tony [Dr. Fauci] called me and Deborah [Dr. Birx] called me and said, 'What's going on in Louisiana?' because it went like a rocket ship [up in COVID cases] all of a sudden."
Governor Edwards added, "We had the highest growth rate of cases in the world.  We were on a trajectory to match Spain and Italy, so when you begin modeling that, we knew we had a short period of time.  We got 350 ventilators from the stock pile -thank you very much [to the president]- and sourced a few hundred more as a state.  We built the beds and we've serviced about 200 COVID patients at the [New Orleans Morial] Convention Center but nowhere near what we had feared and we thank you very much."  Governor Edwards also thanked the president for promising 200,000 more tests to be used in Louisiana.
President Trump invited Louisiana's Democratic governor as one of only a handful of governors he feels has tried to cooperate fully with the White House.  The day before, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis sat in the same chair and the next day told Floridians he'd take a more controlled response such as allowing the state's 41,000 restaurants to open but with only 25% occupancy.  Louisiana is trying to abide by the Trump administration's criteria of COVID case reductions for 14 straight days before reopening.  Of the nine states that have begun reopening, some without regard to social distancing, none have met the 14-day criteria.
Just five months ago, the President was in Louisiana two days before the gubernatorial election campaigning against Edwards for Republican Eddie Respone.  Though 58 percent of Louisianans voted for Trump in 2016, they overrode the president's choice last November and returned West Point graduate John Bel Edwards for a second term.
Governor Edwards quickly forgave the president, saying he learned lessons from studying the administrations of other governors, primarily that of another Governor Edwards.  Edwin Edwards practiced bipartisanship, becoming close friends with staunch Republican Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and both George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush.  The former Governor Edwards said at the time he quickly understood that federal purse strings ran through the White House.
The bipartisan diplomacy paid off in this unprecedented pandemic for the current Governor Edwards and the state of Louisiana as the state became the southern epicenter of COVID-19.  The president's relationship with the Democratic governor developed quickly with a trust that allowed Edwards to be firm when ventilators were needed but honest about not taking federal aid that was not needed.
"I called John Bel because we were ready to start another hospital [in Louisiana]," explained President Trump.  "We just finished one hospital with a lot of beds and we were ready to start another and he was doing so well and the state was doing so well, I called him and said, 'Do you think we should build that hospital?' I think it was 500 beds.  And he said, 'No, I don't think we're going to need it. So it's good not to build some things and I think we put it someplace where they did need it."
"Mr. President," Governor Edwards added, "look at the plan you made for 30 days to stop the spread.  The mitigation measures that you promoted in that plan are carried forward in the guidelines for reopening.  It's sort of a seamless way to do it by keeping those mitigation measures in place as you need to in order to reopen, especially for the vulnerable population."
Reopening is the stickler in every state.  But despite helping federal aid to other states by taking what was only needed, the Democratic Louisiana governor was still shunned for what appears to be partisan politics.  Two weeks prior, a group of Republican southern governors conferenced about strategies to reopen but the Democratic governors of Louisiana, North Carolina and Virginia were left out.
At this meeting in this Oval Office, party was left behind.
"I just want to congratulate you," President Trump wrapped up amid clicking shutters in a room packed with reporters not practicing social distancing or wearing masks. The president also congratulated Louisiana for LSU's National Football Championship, mentioning that he and Governor Edwards had called Coach Ed Orgeron before starting the meeting.  "He's a character but he knows how to coach a team, I'll tell you that," crowed President Trump.  "Your quarterback [Joe Burrow] just went Number One in the NFL draft, an easy Number One.  He got the most votes ever for the Heisman Trophy, unanimous, I think--"
"And he's a great person," Edwards added, "a wonderful citizen.  I think he's going to do Cincinnati proud."
Governor Edwards wrapped up the conciliatory meeting, offering the president, "We're looking forward to moving ahead and just appreciate your work and your contributions to our efforts.  It's been very helpful."
Responded the president, "It's an honor working with you and the people of Louisiana.  Great people.  They've really gone through a lot."
Edwards chuckled, "Well, I'll just say they're the best!" 
The president finished, "They're right there!  They're great people."

Maria Marsh and Hailey Auglair
LSU Manship School News Service

BATON ROUGE — The second-ranking Republican in the Louisiana House criticized Gov. John Bel Edwards Tuesday for extending his statewide stay-at-home order through May 15 instead of opening up parts of the state sooner.
Rep. Tanner Magee, R-Houma, said Edwards’ decision not to let many businesses reopen more quickly will have consequences on the Republican-led Legislature’s willingness to work with him in a bipartisan way when lawmakers reconvene after a nearly two-month recess.
“I think there were windows of bipartisanship, and I think they probably closed yesterday,” Magee said in an interview. “I think we’re moving toward a very anti-bipartisan mood.”
The governor’s decision to extend the shutdown longer than many legislators wanted “was really hurtful,” Magee said, “not intentionally, but in having new members come in that had never been through the process before, and they’re very much itching to do something--to lead--with this crisis. They feel helpless back in their districts because they can’t do anything, and that has caused a situation where people are kind of spiraling out to the wings.”
Edwards and Republican leaders have worked together reasonably well so far through the COVID-19 pandemic, which has sickened more than 27,000 state residents and killed more than 1,750.
Republican U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, who is running for reelection, accompanied Edwards at his briefing on Friday and agreed that the state should only begin to re-open once data about the spread of the virus meets guidelines created by the Trump Administration.
But business groups and some Republican state lawmakers had been urging Edwards to let areas that have not had significant numbers of cases open up next weekend, and Magee’s comments signal rising tensions over the timetable.
The tensions come just as the lawmakers and the governor need to work together to pass a new budget even as the state’s finances are being decimated by the cost of fighting the virus and the collapse in tax revenues from major industries like gambling, oil and gas, and tourism.
Edwards extended the stay-at-home order, which was set to expire May 1, until May 15 due to an increase in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in some parts of Louisiana, including the Baton Rouge area, Acadiana and the northeast portion of the state.
Magee said Edwards should have extended the order for a shorter period of time, such as a week, and then reevaluate the situation.
The virus’ spread has slowed in hotspots like New Orleans. But the number of deaths in some Acadiana parishes doubled over the past two weeks.
While the exact cause of this variation in case rates is unknown, certain regions may not be following the stay-at-home orders, said Dr. Alex Billioux, assistant secretary of the Louisiana Office of Public Health.
“I’m not going to pretend we’re in a better place than we are,” Edwards said Monday.
Republican leaders would like the Legislature to reconvene next Monday, and Edwards agreed that the body is part of the state’s “essential infrastructure.”
“We didn’t close essential infrastructure, and the Legislature shouldn’t be closed because we have the month of May to get a budget in place,” Edwards said.
Democrats in the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus, however, would prefer to wait until May 15. One caucus member, Rep. Ted James, D-East Baton Rouge, is still recovering from a nearly-fatal battle with the coronavirus, and he tweeted Monday that he does not plan to return to the Capitol for the “foreseeable future.”
Senate President Page Cortez, R-Lafayette, also was infected and has since recovered. Rep. Reggie Bagala, R-Lockport, died on April 9 at age 54 after battling the coronavirus.
It is unknown whether those who have already been infected are still susceptible to the virus.
“I consider Ted a personal friend,” Magee said. “I don’t agree with him on this topic.”
By law, the session has to end on June 1. Passing a budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1 “is an essential part of what we do, and I think it needs to get done as soon as possible,” Magee said.
Edwards proposed a budget in February, just before the effects of the virus were felt in the state. At this time, the state was in what felt like a different world with plenty of room to be flexible in the budget given a projected surplus of up to $500 million. It included additional funding for many education programs, from early childhood to higher education.
However, the state has been forced to spend an estimated $600 million so far to fight the pandemic, according to Greg Albrecht, the chief economist at the Legislative Fiscal Office.
“We’ve finished with a surplus the past two years,” Albrecht said. “This year is going to be a very different story more than likely.”
Albrecht and other experts anticipate that the Federal Emergency Management Agency will cover most of these expenditures. However, loss of revenue from personal income, sales and severance taxes will present the biggest hurdle to balancing the budget.
“This is pretty off the charts,” Albrecht said. “There really isn’t any experience with it. People want to think that ‘Oh, it’s like Katrina,’ but not really. This is happening to the whole state and the whole country simultaneously. And there will be no rebuilding. There’s nothing being destroyed per se.”
Two-thirds of the state’s general fund--which is used to pay for public education, healthcare and social services--comes from sales and personal income tax, both of which have plummeted as businesses have been closed and people have been out of work for nearly two months.
Gaming and oil and gas are two areas in which the state has taken a major hit. the closing of casinos has cost the state $60 million a month in revenue, according to Jan Moller, director of the Louisiana Budget Project.
Many oil fields have shut down due to the collapse in oil prices. The state collects severance taxes based on the value of oil, so it is not going to be able to collect the revenue it had projected.
The Legislature will not have a clear projection of how big the drop in revenue will be until the Revenue Estimating Conference meets, possibly next week.
-“We don't know how big the number is, but we know it’s going to be bad,” Moller said. “It really becomes paramount that Washington step up to the plate and provide the revenue that we can’t raise on our own. The only other alternative is to cut basic services.”
State officials are awaiting to see if Congress and President Trump will approve additional federal aid to account for revenue that states and cities have lost in the wake of the pandemic.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, said last week that he was against bailing states and cities out of their budget problems and that they should just be allowed to go bankrupt.
After a backlash from officials in both parties, he modified his position in an interview with Politico Monday, saying he would support providing states with federal aid money only if Democrats would agree to protect corporations from liability suits over customer and worker exposures to the coronavirus.
“I’m open to additional assistance,” he said. “It’s not just going to be a check, though, you get my point? We’re not writing a check to send down to states to allow them to, in effect, finance mistakes they’ve made unrelated to the coronavirus.”
Magee said this is great in theory but, in reality, it’s completely off the mark.
“You’re going to tell me Louisiana made a mistake, when our biggest problem is something that’s happening in Saudi Arabia and Russia?” Magee said. “The oil and gas prices affect Louisiana, and we have no control over that.”

“There are businesses out there who have made mistakes in their business practices, or maybe they’ve been subject to market forces,” Magee added. “Be that as it may, you’re giving them blank checks to keep them open and not requiring them to reckon with their mistakes, but somehow you’re going to hold states to a different standard.”