Guv’s Chief of Staff Says, ‘No Return to Phase I Rules’ [VIDEO]

Mark Cooper, Chief of Staff for Governor John Bel Edwards, addresses stories that there have been discussions about returning the state to Phase I Coronavirus quarantine.

In addition to responding to return-to-Phase-One stories from a number of sources, Cooper also talks about a recent social media post by KALB TV's Steven Maxwell about the Department of Public Health physician, Dr. David Holcomb:

"Dr. David Holcomb with the Office of Public Health says there are discussions with state officials that Louisiana could  move back to Phase I or another stay at home order if coronavirus ceses and hospitalizations continue to increase."

Cooper was adamant that that is not the case. "As far as the Governor's team and as far as the unified command group, that's made up of the Governor and cabinet level officials, there's not been any discussion about going back to Phase I. I think that (Dr. Holcomb) was having conversations with his team, but that was not with the individuals making decisions, the leadership making decisions"

Cooper is also critical of the reemergence of a legislative proposal by State Rep. Alan Seabaugh that would rescind the Governor's COVID 19 emergency declaration. "We're concerned about what (Seabaugh) is doing," he says, "It's kind of reckless, trying to take away state's power (to declare) a health emergency. We need everyone to join us because we want to move forward. I would just hope that he would see that what he's trying to do - and we don't think he has the votes - and (the Seabaugh proposal) is an insult to folks who are trying to move forward...to healthcare workers, to all that are trying to move forward."