Governor Edwards has requested a Major Disaster Declaration for the state of Louisiana on Tuesday as cases in the state continue to climb.
The declaration, according to the governor's office, would allow the federal government to provide additional support for state and local agencies dealing with the growing public health threat.
As of Tuesday morning, there were 1,172 cases of coronavirus in Louisiana and 34 deaths.
44 of the state's 64 parishes are currently reporting cases.
The governor's office says that Louisiana has more cases of the coronavirus per capita than every state except for New York and Washington.
Read the governor's statement below:
"It is still impossible to know exactly how long the COVID-19 pandemic will impact Louisiana, but what we do know is that we have more cases per capita than every state, except for New York and Washington. Sadly, 34 people have died in Louisiana and our case count continues to rise, which is why we need additional federal aid," said Gov. Edwards. "We have overwhelmed our stocks of key resources needed for our hospitals, first responders and emergency managers. There will be a long-lasting impact on the state of Louisiana, and we have taken aggressive mitigation measures to fight the spread of COVID-19. I have been appreciative of the support of the federal government, especially Vice President Mike Pence's COVID-19 task force, and I am hopeful FEMA will quickly approve our request as we continue our response and work towards recovery."
