Louisiana governor: Masks to be part of ‘new normal’

Masks will be recommended attire for Louisiana residents even when stay-at-home orders and restrictions on business activity are eased during coronavirus pandemic, Gov. John Bel Edwards said Wednesday.

He ted medical experts’ guidance saying proper masks keep patients infected with coronavirus from spreing it to ors.

“Think of wearing a mask in public as just being polite to ors,” Edwards said at his daily news conference, calling mask-wearing part of “new rmal” of life when restrictions are lifted.

It remained unclear exactly how and when restrictions will be lifted, but Edwards said he expects to deliver more information as early as Monday.

Louisiana’s current stay-at-home emergency order, banning garings of more than 10 people and forcing closure of many nessential businesses, expires April 30. As debate continues around nation over when and how to reopen, some Republican officials around Louisiana have expressed erness to start reopening at least some businesses May 1.

Democratic goverr has been reluctant to speculate on what will be done next, preferring to wait for more data on spre of COVID-19, disease caused by virus. On Wednesday he told inaugural telephone meeting of Resilient Louisiana Commission , a group he assembled for guidance on reopening, that it will be early next week before he can start talking about what will happen May 1. He has said, however, that he won’t simply extend what’s in place.

Edwards reiterated at meeting that state’s actions will largely be based on guidance from a White House task force, including thresholds for reduction in symptoms and cases and assurance of hospital capacity as measured over a 14-day period.

“We’re about half way through 14 days and current trajectory looks promising,” Edwards said later at his daily news conference.

Edwards also anunced a plan to help state’s oil industry, a major employer staggered by plummeting demand and prices during pandemic. He said state revenue department will delay collection of severance taxes on oil produced in state, which bring in about $40 million a month. Revenue Secretary Kimberly Robinson said severance taxes that are due April 25 are being extended until June 25.

Earlier Wednesday, business interests from around state released a 16-p “Preliminary Framework for Louisiana’s Ecomic Recovery.” report was released Wednesday morning by Baton Rouge Area Chamber on behalf of nearly 50 local chambers of commerce and business and industry lobbying groups.

report suggests a “Stay at Home and Safe at Work Order” with safety rules for businesses that could reopen as early as May 1, “or best date vised by healthcare leers.” early emphasis would be on opening workplaces as safely as possible while maintaining guidance calling for people to “avoid congregating and social interaction in large groups.”

report has extensive recommendations on workplace safety, need to prepared for a “second wave” of infections, necessity of opening all n-emergency medical, dental and mental health facilities, day care needs and help for mirity- and women-owned businesses and rural businesses trying to navigate complicated federal aid programs.

efforts take place against a backdrop of daily COVID-19 statistics numbers both sobering and hopeful. Louisiana’s death toll from virus continues to rise, reaching 1,473 on Wednesday, an increase of 68 from day before, according to figures released by state health department. number of kwn coronavirus infections, based on testing by state health department and commercial labs, reached 25,258, up from 24,854.

However, number hospitalized in state dropped to 1,747 Wednesday. It has consistently been under, 1,800 in recent days after having peaked at 2,134 earlier this month. And number needing ventilators, 287on Wednesday, h peaked at 571 in early April.

For most people, new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that usually clear up within weeks. For some, it can cause severe illness and be life-threatening.

In or virus-related developments Wednesday, Louisiana State Police postponed plans to hold a cet class in summer because of “financial challenges” caused by COVID-19. And state Supreme Court extended an existing delay for criminal and civil trials in state courts to June 30.