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BATON ROUGE – Governor John Bel Edwards says Louisiana will move into Phase 3 tomorrow.

The state has been under Phase 2 guidelines since June 5. Residents say, while the restrictions have saved lives and helped slow the spread of COVID-19, it has also crippled the economy.

Now the governor says case data has been constantly moving in a positive direction, allowing the state to move forward.

“This was probably the hardest decision that I’ve made thus far,” Edwards siad. “Not based on the data itself but based on all of the activities that have been going on in the state of Louisiana recently that could influence where we are two or three weeks from now that isn’t reflected upon the data in which I’ve made my decision.”

Edwards says the mask mandate will remain in place. Phase 3 guidelines will be released tomorrow.