Avoyelles COVID count now 475
Avoyelles Parish's cumulative count for positive COVID-19 tests increased by 15, to 475, as of Saturday's official update from the Louisiana Department of Health. The parish's death toll remained at 16. The state's total rose to 76,803 cases and 3,295 deaths.
As the incidence of COVID-19 continues to increase throughout the state, Gov. John Bell Edwards issued an order requiring face masks in public and ordered all bars to prohibit on-premises consumption. The new ordere also limits indoor social gatherings such as wedding receptions, class reunions and parties to 50 people. Even with these new restrictions, Louisiana remains in Phase II of the "Roadmap for a Resilient Louisiana" -- the post-COVID recovery plan. There has been speculation that Edwards will take the state back to Phase I.
The statewide mask mandate allows parishes with low COVID-19 incidence to opt out. The mask requirement and bar closures go into effect at 12:01 a.m. Monday (July 13).
The tougher restrictions is set to expire July 24, but could be extended.
“Cases in Louisiana continue to increase, including setting a record-high number of new cases reported in one day, today and yesterday," Edwards said. "More than 2,000 new COVID infections reported each of these days and increased hospitalizations are signs that we continue to go in the wrong direction in our work to control COVID-19 in our state.
"While I had hoped to avoid going backwards on restrictions," Edwards continued, "it is obvious that it is necessary to slow the spread of infection in our state, as COVID-19 has spread to every corner, at a level higher than we have previously seen. This is why I am now mandating face coverings statewide and also closing all bars in Louisiana to on-premises consumption, in addition to putting in limits on the size of indoor gatherings.”
The governor said all Louisianans "need to work together to reduce the spread of COVID-19 by wearing their face masks, keeping social distance, washing their hands frequently and staying at home when they are feeling sick. These are reasonable expectations while we fight to reduce the spread of the illness in our state. This approach also gives us the best possible chance to again flatten the curve without moving back to Phase I.”
MASK MANDATE
The statewide mask mandate applies to all 64 parishes in Louisiana. However, parishes with a COVID-19 incidence of fewer than 100 cases per 100,000 people for the most recent two-week period for which data is available could choose to opt out of the mandate. Parish presidents do not have to opt out and may choose to keep a mask mandate in place. The only parishes eligible to opt out are Grant, Red River and West Feliciana.
The order requires face coverings for everyone ages 8 and older except for people:
-- With a medical condition that prevents the wearing of a face covering
-- Consuming a drink or food
-- Trying to communicate with a person who is hearing impaired
-- Giving a speech for broadcast or to an audience
-- Temporarily removing his or her face covering for identification purposes
-- Who are residents of a parish without a high COVID incidence that has opted out of the masking mandate
Masks are strongly recommended for children ages 2 to 7.
CLOSURE OF BARS TO ALL ON PREMISES CONSUMPTION
All bars, including those with food permits from the Louisiana Department of Health, will be closed to on-premises consumption. They can operate for curbside takeout or delivery service only.
Since the start of the crisis, Louisiana has identified at least 36 outbreaks, impacting at least 405 people, involving bars that were actually closed under the governor’s original "Stay at Home" order. Public health officials believe going to bars is a higher public health risk than visiting other types of businesses because people are socializing and cannot wear masks when they drink.
Bars also attract young adults under 30, which make up the largest percentage of new COVID cases in the state.
GATHERING SIZE
The new order also limits the size of social gatherings to 50 people indoors and also for outdoor events if individuals cannot avoid being within six feet of one another.
This crowd size limitation does not apply to businesses deemed essential as defined by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency or any businesses and organizations operating at 50 percent capacity pursuant to Paragraphs (1) through (6) of Subsection (G) of Section 2 of 83 JBE 2020, including churches and other faith-based organizations.
The 50-person limit will apply to indoor gatherings, like receptions, weddings and others. The changes are based on the advice of public health officials.