[1] Governor John Bel Edwards closed schools statewide on March 16, 2020, restricted most businesses to takeout and delivery only, postponed presidential primaries, and placed limitations on large gatherings.

[2][3] On March 23, Edwards enacted a statewide stay-at-home order to encourage social distancing, and President Donald Trump issued a major disaster declaration, the fourth state to receive one.

[5] Numerous "clusters" of confirmed cases have appeared at nursing homes across southern Louisiana, including an outbreak at Lambeth House in New Orleans that has infected over fifty and killed thirteen elderly residents as of March 30.

[8] On March 24, only 29% of ICU beds were vacant statewide, and Edwards announced coronavirus patients would likely overwhelm hospitals in New Orleans by April 4.

[20] On the morning of March 15, Governor Edwards announced that 14 additional positive cases had been confirmed in Louisiana, as well as the state's second death: a 53-year-old person from Orleans Parish with underlying medical conditions.

The fourth death in the state was also reported by the Louisiana Department of Health: 80-year-old judge James Carriere, who became the second person to die of coronavirus in the Lambeth House retirement home in uptown New Orleans.

[27] The second of the three deaths confirmed on March 18 was 92-year-old psychiatrist Dr. Charles Rodney Smith, the third person who died in the Lambeth House retirement community in uptown New Orleans.

[citation needed] Jefferson Parish announced on March 20 that curbside recycling pickup would be suspended citing the safety of workers in the industry.

[citation needed] It was announced by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans that Archbishop Gregory Aymond had tested positive for coronavirus on March 23.

[32] Governor Edwards issued a request for a disaster declaration and federal aid in the state, projecting that New Orleans could exceed its hospital capacity by April 4.

[39] Florida Governor Ron DeSantis expands a previous order requiring airline travelers from New York City to self-quarantine for fourteen days to include people who enter from Louisiana via Interstate 10.

[54] On June 19, the Louisiana Department of Health confirmed an outbreak of coronavirus infections in the Tigerland bars after receiving over 100 reports of positive cases from patrons and employees.

[57] Amid Governor Edwards extending Phase 2, Republic lawmakers are pushing to revoke the state's emergency declaration as they assert that people in their districts do not want to wear masks or adhere to governmental restrictions on social distancing at restaurants.

[60] On July 14, Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary Besty DeVos, and White House Coronavirus Task Force Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx visited Louisiana State University to meet with Governor Edwards and other elected officials regarding school reopening.

"[63] On August 5, the Governor's team appeared in court to defend their COVID restrictions against four Jefferson Parish business owners who sought to overturn the measures.

A spokesman for Mayor LaToya Cantrell released a statement saying "The images circulating depict what appear to be clear violations of public health guidelines.

[85] Locally, Slidell Mayor Greg Cromer made a statement on March 14, re-stating the closure of public schools and the state of emergency that Governor Edwards announced previously.

[41] On March 26, Mayor Cantrell criticized the Trump administration's early response to the pandemic, admitting that she would have canceled Mardi Gras festivities in New Orleans had she been provided with more sufficient information from federal authorities on potential risks.

[94] On July 19, only three days after its announcement, the state temporarily suspended the Louisiana Emergency Rental Assistance Program due to an overwhelming response.

On July 28, Governor Edwards penned a letter to Louisiana's congressional delegation citing serious concerns regarding the state's Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund.

[100] On September 8, it was announced that the state had to begin the process to borrow money from the federal government to supplement the unemployment trust fund which reached very low levels.

"[101] On September 11, after improvements in case counts and hospitalizations, Governor Edwards announced the state would be transitioning into Phase 3 and extending the statewide mask mandate.

[105][106] In October, 65 Republican members of the Louisiana House of Representatives signed onto a petition that sought to overturn Governor Edwards' public health emergency declaration and the statewide mask mandate.

[107] As of November 2020, Judge William Morvant of the 19th JDC denied the request, citing that the petition was void since it "specifically targeted Edwards' previous iteration of the phase 3 order which ended Nov.

[110] On August 2, 2021, citing spread of Delta variant due to low vaccination levels, Governor Edwards reinstated a mask mandate for indoor public spaces and schools, effective through at least September 1.

[114] On March 9, 2021, Governor Edwards announced a major expansion of its vaccination eligibility criteria, covering any resident over the age of 16 who has an underlying condition identified by the CDC as contributing to an increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

[117] Starting in September, Louisiana's seafood industry, which has been hard hit due to pandemic restrictions on restaurant capacity could apply for assistance through the CARES Act.

[133] ProPublica reported that an outbreak at the Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola) in West Feliciana Parish had been hidden via deliberately low testing rates.

[8] New Orleans has been noted for its high rate of cases; LSU associate professor Susanne Straif-Bourgeoi suggested that the city's Mardi Gras celebrations may have been a factor in its rapid spread—as they attract a large number of public gatherings and international tourism, and occurred before the wider scrutiny over the virus that emerged in March.

[137] The state's demographics have also influenced its rapid spread, including its sizable African American population (a group that has seen a disproportionate impact in other parts of the country as well).