Governor John Bel Edwards announced this past Monday that Louisiana will stay in Phase Two of reopening, as the number of COVID-19 cases and related hospitalizations have started to rise in several regions across the state.

“It goes without saying that this is not the direction that we want to be headed in,” said Edwards. “We have to reduce case growth and hospitalizations. So today, I’m announcing that we will not be moving to Phase Three when the order expires at the end of this week.”

Louisiana is ranked seventh out of 23 states across the country experiencing an increase in COVID-19 positive cases. Edwards said that the Phase Two order issued back on June 4, 2020, will be allowed to expire on Friday and that a new order will be released later this week, possibly on Thursday. Gov. Edwards did say that the new order will be in effect for 28 days.

As of Monday, the state has reported a total number of 50,239 cases and 3,004 deaths while in Jackson Parish the numbers showed 187 positive test cases, 95 active cases, 15 deaths and one still being hospitalized. Seventy seven have recovered.