Edwards keeps current Louisiana virus restrictions in place

The Associated Press

4 years ago

Swarnamala Ratnayaka prepares RNA for testing for the new coronavirus at the molecular pathology lab at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, Thursday, April 2, 2020. The test is identical to the PCR test being used by the Centers for Disease Control to ease the testing crisis and stop the spread of COVID-19, which has hit the New Orleans area especially hard. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards talks about his state’s response to Hurricane Laura and to the coronavirus pandemic during a news conference, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020, in Baton Rouge, La. (AP Photo/Melinda Deslatte)

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Gov. John Bel Edwards is keeping Louisiana’s current coronavirus restrictions on businesses and activities in place for another month.

Those rules have provoked the ire of Republican lawmakers who have convened a monthlong special session hoping to undo many or all of them.

The Democratic governor announced Thursday he’s renewing the terms of his pandemic emergency order with few changes and maintaining the statewide mask mandate through Nov. 6.

The restrictions had been set to expire Friday if Edwards didn’t act. The rules were enacted in September and were loosened from previous orders.