Governor John Bel Edwards says he is keeping the state in a modified Phase Two while adding no new restrictions.

Louisiana has been in a modified Phase Two since the day before Thanksgiving of last year as daily reported cases, deaths, and hospitalizations by the Louisiana Department of Health are at the highest they have been since the Coronavirus Pandemic begin in the Spring of 2020. Today, LDH reported another 4,673 cases and 53 deaths, but hospitalizations for COVID-19 appear to be plateauing.

With Mardi Gras season quietly kicking off this week, Governor Edwards' proclamation outlining Mardi Gras restrictions was released:

Proclamation Section 2E of 209 JBE 2020 states -

"Crowd sizes are limited to no more than 25% capacity as set by the State Fire Marshal with a maximum 150 people in any single outdoor space where individuals will be close proximity to one another and unable to maintain strict social distancing of six feet apart from individuals who are not immediate household members."

"There is light at the end of the tunnel, but right now we’re in a very dark place, as is the rest of the country," said Governor Edwards. "That light is the vaccine."

Nearly 160,000 vaccine doses have been administered as frontline healthcare workers and people aged 70 or older have been getting the vaccine since the beginning of 2021.

The current modified Phase Two was set to end on January 13th. It has now been extended for an additional 28 days.

You can watch Governor Edwards' press conference by clicking below:

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