Louisiana Governor Edwards Will Not Renew COVID Public Health Emergency Order
Louisiana Governor Edwards Will Not Renew COVID Public Health Emergency Order
On March 14, 2022, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards announced that as Louisiana and the nation continue to make progress in recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, due to a significant drop in cases and hospitalizations and the widespread availability of safe and effective vaccines, he will not renew his COVID public health emergency order when it expires this week. Governor Edwards made the announcement during his opening address to Louisiana’s 2022 Regular Legislative Session.
“On March 11, 2020, I signed a public health emergency for COVID-19. And while it changed to reflect the ebb and flow of the pandemic, it has remained in effect ever since. This Wednesday, the order expires, and after 24 months, I will not be renewing it,” Gov. Edwards said. “This decision was not made lightly. I have met with GOHSEP, the Department of Health, the Louisiana National Guard, and the Division of Administration to ensure that there will be no federal aid repercussions or other adverse consequences from not renewing the proclamation. I want to be clear that just because the proclamation is expiring doesn’t mean COVID is over. If the circumstances call for it, I will not hesitate to declare another emergency. God willing, we will never have to see such difficult mitigation measures in our state again. Thankfully, at this time, we are no longer in a crisis. I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know that we are in a much better place today than we were two years ago.”
Governor Edwards and his public health advisors will continue to monitor the COVID situation and provide the public with updates and guidance as needed to manage public health in Louisiana’s communities and keep hospitals from becoming overburdened. Should additional needs arise or the situation change, the Governor may reconsider his emergency declaration.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new community risk models, most parishes in Louisiana face a low risk of COVID spread.
“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic we have continued to follow the science and the data to guide our response,” said State Health Officer Dr. Joseph Kanter. “Thankfully, we are in a much better situation and a much stronger position than we have been. At the same time, it is not lost on us that today marks the second anniversary of our first COVID-19 death in Louisiana. In just 24 months, nearly 17,000 Louisianans have lost their lives. This pandemic is certainly not over, and our collective work remains unfinished, but I do believe better days are ahead. The COVID-19 vaccines have saved countless lives — and they, therapeutics and a deeper understanding of this virus strengthen us.”
“I’m so proud of what the men and women of the Louisiana National Guard have accomplished during this unprecedented time of need,” said Maj. Gen. Keith Waddell, adjutant general of the Louisiana National Guard. “I am also grateful for the relationships and partnerships we have built with local officials from all 64 parishes, other state agencies, and our federal partners. Together, we succeeded in responding to COVID-19 with innovative tactics, techniques, and procedures which has benefitted our citizens and visitors to our state. I want the citizens of Louisiana to know that the Louisiana National Guard will continue to Protect What Matters.”
All epidemiological data currently point to a decrease in COVID-like illness, new COVID cases, and hospitalizations. The majority of parishes are currently classified as low by the CDC’s COVID-19 Community Levels. Louisiana has many more tools to control the spread of the coronavirus in its communities two years into the COVID pandemic, including safe and effective vaccines, booster doses, antiviral drugs, monoclonal antibody treatments, at-home tests, and high-quality face masks.
Governor Edwards consulted with cabinet officials, including LDH, GOHSEP, the Division of Administration, and the Louisiana National Guard, before allowing the COVID Public Health emergency order to expire for the first time in two years to ensure that the state could continue to provide the support needed to manage COVID in Louisiana’s communities. Even as COVID has continued, many other states have allowed their emergency declarations to lapse.
As the pandemic requires, Louisiana will continue to support community vaccination and testing. COVID-19 activities, such as vaccination and testing, will increasingly return to traditional healthcare settings now that the state is no longer in crisis mode. COVID-19 testing and vaccinations will continue to be widely available throughout the state at local pharmacies, primary care clinics, and FQHCs. Call 211 to find a nearby test site or vaccination location.
More than 16,913 people have died from COVID in Louisiana since March 2020, with over 1.23 million cases. Click here to see the most recent COVID epidemiological data in Louisiana.
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