Governor: No decision yet on Phase Three

Gov.John Bel Edwards announced no decision Tuesday on whether he will move the state into less restrictive Phase Three coronavirus measures.

That decision could come as early as Wednesday, Edwards said at a Tuesday press conference. His current proclamation expires Friday.

Proclamations by Edwards have kept Louisiana in Phase Two, part of the White House Coronavirus Task Force guidelines, since June 4. Phase Two followed 10 weeks under a stay at home order with the closure of schools and nonessential businesses.

Phase Two allowed resumption of most normal business activities while requiring masks, social distancing and capacity limits. After coronavirus cases flared up again in mid-June, Edwards ordered bars closed to on-premises drinking, imposed a statewide mask mandate and limited crowds to 50 people. He added those restrictions July 7.

He has since passed up at least two opportunities to move the state into Phase Three, citing COVID-19 statistics.

How the administration will view recent changes in COVID situation isn't certain.

The state recently slipped beneath the federal red-flag warning levels for the positivity rate on COVID tests and the average number of positive tests compared to the population.

On Tuesday, the Louisiana Office of Public Health reported only 250 new COVID-positive cases statewide, far short of the 1,000-2,000 cases reported daily during the height of the second surge of coronavirus beginning in mid-June.

But there are complications.

Tuesday's total was based on fewer than 5,000 tests, only half or even a quarter of the number of daily tests performed during the summertime ramp-up designed to deal with the second wave. Edwards has noted that the testing slowdown that accompanied the approach of hurricanes Marco and Laura came at about the time public health officials hoped to determine whether the reopening of public schools helped spread the virus.

Reports of Labor Day events in which masking and social distancing weren't in evidence are a source of concern, the governor said Tuesday.

"I understand that people don't like the protocols, the mitigation measures, the restrictions in place for COVID," Edwards said. "But they're there for a reason.

"The degree to which we are going to be able to open up our economy, our churches and schools and universities and leave them open without undue interruption is going to be determined by the degree to which people wear masks."

The governor insisted that his decision about a move into Phase 3 will be based on data in consultation with the White House Coronavirus Task Force.

Even so, a decision to keep Louisiana in Phase 2 would be certain to cause controversy. Previous decisions by Edwards to extend existing restrictions or impose new ones have provoked push-back from conservative lawmakers and business interests.

Legislators have floated the idea of a procedural move that would in effect take away Edwards' power to declare a public health emergency and impose mitigation measures.

At least two groups of bar owners have sued to end the closure of their businesses to on-premises drinking.

So far, neither the conservative lawmakers nor the bar owners have been successful.

Louisiana workers idled because of COVID have been able to collect a $300 weekly unemployment benefit enhancement made possible by an executive order signed by President Donald Trump. The $300 boost to state jobless benefits, which replaced a $600 enhancement that expired July 31, was put in place to give the Senate time to hammer out an extension of COVID benefits, possibly also including another stimulus check, more Paycheck Protection Program funding for businesses, and aid to state and local governments.

But a Senate deal seems no closer than when the president signed the order five weeks ago, which may add to pressure on state officials to ease restrictions more quickly.

The most recent unemployment figures from the Louisiana Workforce Commission say Louisiana's July unemployment rate was down from June, but still high at 9.9% About 202,000 Louisiana workers were unemployed in July.

In St. Mary Parish, the July unemployment rate was 10.9%, down from 11.1% in June. Employment here grew by nearly 200 month to month, but 2,101 St. Mary people were unemployed.