WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said that starting in May the state expects to be able to test 200,000 residents per month, a level that he feels will allow the state to reopen the economy following the coronavirus outbreak, which has shut a large portion of it down for almost two months.
Edwards made the statement in a White House meeting with President Trump. Edwards thanked the president for help with Louisiana’s coronavirus outbreak and said that he thought the state had made great strides.
“We’ve obviously turned the corner. We’re in a much, much better place than we thought was possible five or six weeks ago.”
Earlier this week though, Edwards did extend the state’s Stay at Home mandate due to increases in cases in some areas of the state. He relaxed a few minor parts of the order, now allowing people to get meals from a restaurant and eat them on the property if the business has outdoor dining. He also said that shopping malls could offer curbside pickup.
Edwards lauded the president for the quick setup of excess beds and for medical personnel, in addition to the testing.
“We had a lot of lessons to learn because there was no blueprint for this,” he said. “There’s no blueprint for a governor on how do you respond to a pandemic.”
Edwards said the stepped-up testing is the “big piece” that the state has needed to move ahead.
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