Councilman Kenneth Wilson Issues Statement re: Public Participation in Phase One of Re-Opening Louisiana

Friday, May 15, 2020 - 3:30pm

City of Monroe Council member Kenneth Wilson (District 4) would like to urge the public to
stay safe and strictly adhere to Governor Edwards’ latest guidelines that will go into effect on
Friday, May 15, 2020. He states:

“For the past several weeks, our citizens have had to take extraordinary precautions to prevent
the spread of one of the worst pandemics our State and community have ever seen. These
precautions have largely worked, and Governor Edwards has recently announced that Louisiana
will enter Phase One of the Governor’s Reopening Plan on May 15, 2020. But, the fight against
COVID-19 in our community is not over, and I urge our citizens to remain mindful of and
strictly adhere to the limitations put in place for Phase One reopening.

Phase One allows many previously closed businesses and facilities to reopen under strict
attendance limits. Churches, restaurants, gyms, hair salons, and other businesses covered in
Phase One may reopen but must limit attendance to 25% of their State Fire Marshal Capacity.
Attendance limitations are extremely important because they reduce the potential for exposure
while we reopen, and it will give the City and State an opportunity to assesses whether further
openings are warranted. We should all strive to adhere to these limits so the entire community
can move forward.

Attendance limitations aren’t the only important precautions. I continue to urge all community
members to practice social distancing, to wash their hands often, to wear masks in public, and
most importantly, to have respect for the health and well-being of your fellow community
members. We must all work together to ensure that the number of new cases in our area
remains on the decline and that we do our best to ensure that we can move forward into Phase
Two.

I hope that everyone stays safe and healthy, that we continue to work together for the welfare of our community, and that we all move forward together.”

Visit our City of Monroe COVID-19 Update Webpage www.monroela.us/coronavirus for updates about city services and connections to valuable resources and information.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONAL RESOURCES:

  • Business and faith leaders should register at OpenSafely.la.gov to receive guidance and updates from the State Fire Marshal’s office and the Louisiana Department of Health.
  • For a guide of businesses that can be open at any given time, visit https://gov.louisiana.gov/can-this-business-open/
  • Members of the public can continue to get information from the Governor’s office by visiting Coronavirus.la.gov and by texting LACOVID to 67283.
  • Members of the public can continue to get information from the Department of Health by visiting ldh.la.gov/coronavirus
  • People with general questions about COVID-19 in Louisiana can call 211.