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Louisiana COVID restrictions likely to last through Christmas, New Year's

Greg Hilburn
Monroe News-Star
Several Southern Tier counties say they don't have the manpower to actively enforce a new state indoor face mask mandate to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Louisianans should prepare for a COVID Christmas similar to the restrictions and recommendations issued for Thanksgiving.

Last week Gov. John Bel Edwards pulled the state back into a modified Phase 2 to combat a third surge of the infection in Louisiana.

Though Edwards' latest month-long order expires Dec. 23, he said it will almost certainly be extended in some form through Christmas and New Year's.

"I don't want to create the expectation that on Dec. 23 it is likely we'll reduce restrictions a couple of days before Christmas," Edwards said last week.

"No one should believe we'll relax restrictions at that time," he said. "I just hope, I pray and I believe we won't have to put in more restrictions on Dec. 23 or before. That's all going to turn on the degree people across Louisiana embrace the challenge and remain resolute."

Edwards' latest order kept the statewide mask mandate in place and reduced occupancy limits for most non-essential businesses to 50%. It also effectively closed most bars that don't serve food for inside service and reduced the occupancy limits at event centers both inside and outside to 25%.

But Edwards kept the occupancy for churches (75%) and sporting events (25%) at Phase 3 levels.

Opponents like the conservative Pelican Institute for Public Policy said the added restrictions will cost people more jobs.

“Lost jobs and livelihoods weren’t on any Louisianans’ Christmas lists this year," said Daniel Erspamer, chief executive of the Pelican Institute. "Everyone wants to protect our most vulnerable citizens but reverting to blunt instrument lockdown policies that have dire unintended consequences is unwise and disappointing.

"We can solve these dual crises together, but once again locking down the lives and livelihoods of Louisiana families is not the answer.”

Edwards has implored Louisiana residents and business owners to honor the latest restrictions even though he conceded strict statewide enforcement isn't feasible.

"If people insist we enforce our way through this we're doomed to failure," he said.

The governor didn't rule out imposing more restrictions if the rate of infection continues to rise.

"If we stay on the trajectory we're on we'll have no choice but to come back and put more restrictions in place because what we cannot do is overwhelm our hospitals' capacity to deliver care," he said.

Edwards said he expects many restrictions to remain in place until a vaccine can be distributed, which he said is on the way "and a light at the end of the tunnel."

"In several months we'll have enough of our population vaccinated to put this in rear view mirror but until then we have to do what is necessary," he said. "All the information we can get from White House and other experts indicates ... we're in for a couple or three really tough months.

"The holidays are about showing our love. The best way to love someone now is by not giving them COVID. That's our mission. We have to follow the common sense mitigation measures we're talking about. We know they work."

Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.