On March 22, Governor John Bel Edwards held a press conference announcing a Stay at Home Order for the entire state of Louisiana that will go into effect Monday, March 23 at 5:00 PM. In a press release, Governor Edwards issued the following statement:
“In Louisiana, we have taken aggressive measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and flatten the curve; however, this is not enough. As our number of cases continue to grow, I am directing all Louisianans to stay at home unless it is absolutely necessary for you to leave. I am implementing this measure to help prevent you from becoming infected or infecting someone else. People can leave their homes to do essential things like buying groceries or food, pick up medicine or go to work only if their job is essential. If you have to go out, make sure you practice social distancing measures and keep 6 feet between you and the people around you. People are encouraged to go outside and to stay active during this time, as long as they practice social distancing when they are around their neighbors. This order is not something I take lightly, but it is necessary to protect the health, safety and well-being of our people, our communities and our way of life.”
Read the entire press release.
View graphics that were presented at the press conference.
Read the full text of the Governor's proclamation.
It is worth noting that the proclamation provides an exception for employees to commute to and from their place of employment if they are deemed to provide an essential worker function. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has provided guidance as to what is considered essential. Review the CISA guidance here.