BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana moving into Phase 3 of reopening could be delayed as “concerning” trends emerge in our COVID-19 testing data.
The Louisiana Dept. of Health did not release their daily coronavirus update Thursday because they need to “review the data and make sure it’s accurate.”
“We’re trying to make sure there are no duplicative or non-Louisiana residents whose tests may have been done in Louisiana,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said Thursday afternoon.
The more critical review of information from the LDH comes as the numbers of new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations rise in some regions of Louisiana.
It takes roughly two-to-three weeks for coronavirus symptoms to manifest, so the uptick in cases is from people who were exposed weeks ago. Edwards said that means the trend is likely to continue for at least two weeks, even if we start responding now.
“Everyone in Louisiana needs to do a real gut check on whether he or she has been slacking off on taking the proper precautions,” Edwards said. “The simple fact of the matter is we need people to wear their masks, wash their hands, practice social distancing, stay at home when they’re sick.”
Dr. Alex Billioux with Louisiana’s Office of Public Health said that Louisiana is seeing a slight decrease in testing at the same time cases are increasing.
According to Dr. Billioux, regions 4, 5, and 6 in Louisiana (the middle of the state), are seeing a decline in testing, a spike in new cases and an increase in hospitalizations.
“What we’re seeing is not just new cases as a result of new tests,” Dr. Billioux said. “We’re beginning to see the signs of that uptick.”
According to the Governor, those numbers indicate that the “first wave” of coronavirus isn’t done with Louisiana yet. This could stop the state from meeting the criteria to advance to Phase 3 of reopening.
“Nobody wants to go backward and start imposing more restrictions,” Edwards said. “And we won’t need to do that if people will do what we’re asking.”
The Governor has no plans to implement more restrictions on the public right now but urged people to take COVID-19 seriously, wear a mask, wash their hands and continue social distancing.
"I always have confidence in the goodness and the decency of the people of Louisiana," Edwards said. "Take responsibility for yourself."
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