That meeting in was also the president. We were able to visit with him. Earlier this morning, i had the opportunity to have a phone all with secretary of veterans administration, robert wilke, that we ed our request forwarded through fema for supplemental assistance from the potentially with respect to Surge Capacity of hospitals here primarily a looking towards new orleans. And last night, i was able to fema conversation with the ister pete gainer on most pressing needs we have in louisiana, all of which relates Surge Capacity. Principally, as i mentioned to you yesterday, those being ventilators. P. P. E. And other requests. Pleased to announce and in fact the president announced this during the call with all 50 as rnors today and just an aside, we have 55 governors because of territories. Governors on 50 the call today. But the president announced that our request d 250bed federal Field Hospitals. Now, these are basically beds poles. By beds i am talking about primarily cots. Themselves come with those sonnel to run hospital beds. But in addition, theyll send one Public HealthService Strike team of 60 individuals. So these are doctors and nurses to help us to e create Surge Capacity. One c. D. C. Epidemiology team, we had previously i think all that team would be coming to louisiana. Ll of these assets and personnel should be in louisiana soon, and i want to thank the president and our federal for this very important assistance. We are certainly grateful for support. So we are going to add these resources into our plans for surge. I will speak more about medical surge in just a moment. Review the relief bill. I think theyre calling it 3 of the phase Coronavirus Relief package that the president and congress has working on for some time. That bill did pass the senate. Expectation that it will pass the house tomorrow and be signed into law tomorrow night. We continue to look at all of those provisions to see what funding, assistance, flexibility that we can bring to bear in just as soon as possible. Ust an update on the National Guard, we currently have 955 overall fromairmen the National Guard who are involved in our response to the covid19 Public Health emergency. Are at number, 667 traditional National Guardsmen, soldiers and airmen who have mobilized specifically for this emergency. Various things around the state of louisiana, including supporting testing in new orleans and in jefferson and other areas in south louisiana. Transporting critical needs. Theyre maintaining and perating the warehouse and doing various other things that are critically important in this emergency. Th from the screen to my right, the numbers we have are once again very staggering. I hope the entire state of these na is looking at numbers and that they are as i am. Ned about them as since yesterday, we have confirmed new cases 2,305vid19 for a total of cases statewide. Hat is a 28 increase from yesterday. There are unfortunately 18 new since yesterday, which total. 3 deaths that is obviously very tragic. People who think that this is really just a problem louisiana, new orleans, Jefferson Parish, for now have positive parishes. 3 of our 64 so nobody, nobody should look at think, oh, on and this doesnt involve me. This doesnt involve my town. My parish. T involve and i am encouraging everyone, who you are or where you live to understand that this your virus is in neighborhood. It is spreading throughout the state of louisiana. Where it o place isnt. There are some places where we havent detected it yet through positive test result. It is all the way across our state. When we have statewide mitigation measures in place, to everyone, and i urge everyone to take them very, seriously. And its quite frankly the case yourlife you save could be own, and all that you have to do lives is stay home, minimize your contact, follow social distancing, as weve been talking about. Disturbing piece of information related to the fatalities that were reporting that is that we learned one of those deaths is a person from oung new orleans. There is an investigation undergoing by the coroner now. Dont have any information as to whether this individual had underlying Chronic Health not. Tions or but it does illustrate the point at risk. Yone is it might be the case that those ost at risk are those 65 and older and those with Underlying Health conditions, but there is ome percentage of the population, regardless of age and regardless of their health, are at risk of having a very serious and severe complications disease and that includes death. That this ld assume disease will not severely impact the potential to kill them. Virus knows no limits when t comes to age, race, gender, background, your social status, whatever. Discriminate. Nt so i am, again, urging everyone, you are and who where you live, to take this seriously. With every passing day, doctors signed and scientists are learning more and more about this virus. More and more g about this disease and how it impacts people. Know enough already to follow t people need to the stayathome order that weve given. To now that people need practice social distancing. Importance. Utmost as of today, we are currently number h new jersey for two in cases per capita in the america. Ates of we are tied for number two in entire United States of america with new jersey when it capita. Cases per f we dont flatten the curve and do it soon, as i mentioned we could be out of ventilators in region 1, the new by as early as 2. Il potentially be out of bed space for individuals by april 7. Theres simply not enough Health Care Resources to care for all those who will need care if we at oure to develop cases current pace. If we dont slow the spread of if we dont slow the cases, this is happen. Oing to its not conjecture. This isnt some flimsy theory. Scare tactic. Happen. Whats going to every Single Person has to take and my istancing stayathome order seriously. Discussionn a lot of about medical surge, where they new up facility in the orleans area, particularly around the earnest m. Moorehouse center in new orleans, and setting up a facility there. Yes, we are in the processing of necessary contracts 1,120 beds at the initially. Center the first beds will be ready this weekend with the rest along in the week. Were executing the contracts with the Wraparound Services to include staffing for that facility. Ability to the scale more beds over the next that of weeks if we see that is necessary. Watching sly we are hat curve to know what we can expect in that area. I heard a lot of discussion options for nt where we would place these hospital beds. Nd trust me, weve done an exhaustive survey of all the different facilities and hotels and where we think we can do this with the the efficiency and have best possible impact on delivering health care to the individuals who are going to it. There are obviously pros and but the very option, most important thing, because one of the hardest things we are is the have to solve staffing, and quite simply, its large to staff a single facility than it is multiple smaller facilities. Layout 69 convention ayout of the Convention Center is near ideal when it comes to staging the beds there in the 120. Of obviously, its not an easy call to make. Were goingons show to need potentially 1,000 or in the new l beds orleans region by about the 8th, april. Th of that depends what the data points are in the next few days it comes on. Thats the trajectory were on. The concerns me, these are same dates we have been talking about the last three, four days. And the simple reason for that, yet to start flattening the curve. That in eryone to know addition to this capacity, were surging capacity within our of hospitals,rint not just in the new orleans region, but around the state. Is not complete, but i will l. S. U. In at oxnard expanding by 96 beds. Beds. N by 97 baton rouge by 75 beds. Baton rouge general is adding regular, inpatient hospital beds by 34 i. C. U. Beds and 229 inpatient beds. These things are being done in phases. Some of those are coming online quickly. Others within a couple of weeks. And others within about a month or so. Critically t is important because those bviously who are most severely impacted by this disease will need an i. C. U. Bed. Going to need a ventilator. So increasing our capacity here incredibly important. In addition to this work, were dentifying all of the capacity we have at tier 2 hospitals across the state of louisiana just for purposes in the new orleans region, in region 1, of e are approximately 172 these beds. And then we are working, as i before, to try to get an arrangement with the v. A. Especially in new orleans in the short term, to see what Surge Capacity they may so they can take some of well. Tients as actually was very gratified in the call that without my the president called n me to report about what our needs were and before i could give an answer, he asked me bout whether we thought we hospital in v. A. New orleans at Surge Capacity. I confirmed i thought we would. Receiving the required attention at the highest levels in our federal government. Really appreciate him for understanding what our situation louisiana and doing what he can as our federal artner to assist with what were trying to stand up here in louisiana when it comes to our nedc ned medical surge our medical Surge Capacity. Time how nt a lot of were surging in louisiana with respect to our medical capacity. Working around the clock nonstop to do that. In louisiana rson doesnt really have a role to surge. How we but you have a tremendous role to play in determining the which we have to surge and the time within which we have to do it in order to meet if you will do what is within your power to slow the spread of this virus, the spread of this disease, we wont need to surge as fast. R and you literally have it within yourself to say it could be your own, it might be your pouses, it could be parents, it could be your next door neighbor, but you have it power the opportunity to save lives if you will simply minimize the contact that you have with other people. Know its hard. Its both simple on the one hand other. D on the its not how we are accustomedo living. But those are the facts. Out that weto point are seeing a troubling sign in northwest louisiana. State cally look at our and we look down in the new orleans and Jefferson Parish area. Think, is almost 1,000 cases. 997 cases. In jefferson r parish, 458. We say. Spot. Thats the hot just a few days ago, there were cases in dful of shea shreveport, cado parish and bosier. We have 115 cases and 32. Think back, it wasnt that long were the kind of numbers we were seeing out of new orleans and Jefferson Parish. Illustrates the point. This is a statewide problem. Be thinking ould that theyre not at risk. Nd that this doesnt involve them. Fellow louisianans. If you find this briefing unsettling, if you a situation that im describing that you want to cant understand, we avoid we can avoid it. It is entirely within our power it. Void but we got to have more compliance. To thank way, i want all of the individuals,ing the leaders, the the political leaders, the business leaders, the faith leaders who re doing so much to promote compliance. And those individuals out there who are complying. Doing as well as we should. Not when we know what is coming the road in the nottoodistant future if we dont do better. Urging everyone to do what you can. Be selfless. Be a good neighbor. Hink about that health care worker. Hos already performing heroically. But why would you want to increase their workload, increase the people with whom going to have to be exposed . Why would you want to take the on bringing it home . While we left essential businesses open so that people store and he grocery to the pharmacy and to the bank and to the gas station, you day. Have to go every you dont have to do those every day. Because of the critical need for Health Care Workers, weve created a medical volunteer website in order to mobilize ealth care students and graduates from louisiana universities and colleges to support the existing health care that is quickly getting stretched thin. Is also available to active members or retirees of louisianas health care willing and are able to assist, and were asking all medical up. Grounds to sign this is really important because n addition to ventilators and p. P. E. , really, the most critical thing we need in order capacity e our surge or the medical are the medical professionals, the nurses, the he respiratory therapists and all f the other allied Health Care Professionals. We need volunteers. So if you are qualified and able all, im g, first of imploring you to volunteer. Secondly, you can do so by visiting c covid19lavolunteers. Org. Want to thank everyone involved with making this possible. I want to thank those who have volunteered. We will have all of these links and phone numbers on our by the way, which is gov. La. Gov coronavirus. Gov. La. Gov coronavirus. Just a reminder, for those of you who are filing for benefits, in order to receive weekly unemployment to have you are going to satisfy. Is a legal requirement that you have to say you are unemployed. You have to do it once a week. Be unemployed due to covid19 to get benefits. Certifications must be filed by sunday with each week you are unemployed. Hink of the weekly certification as filling out a weekly time sheet. You just have to do it every week. Workforce he commission to know on a weektoweek basis that your has not t situation changed. Despite he desire the dire circumstances we face, do remain hopeful, and in fact, optimistic, that with greater compliance to the to the home order, social distancing measures we have put in place, and to people good common ng sense, and that people are going motivated by just the esire to be Good Neighbors to one another, that we are going to start to flatten the curve to start e are going seeing that in the very near future. Where our future, from we are today, with the curve hat we are on, is not promising. Gladly accept help, both human and divine, so im asking people to continue, in addition make sure that we do better, that they pray that better as well. Theres no doubt theres daylight at the end of the not close were enough, yet, to see it. Need re than ever, we people to stay home, slow the spread, and save lives. I am going to take questions. Will remind you that as we have every single day, i want to the all of the people at office of Public Health, really, all the people statewide who are working so hard on this, both at level and at the local level, but we have the doctor as theyanswer questions may relate specifically to testing. Personally. Ank him and i want to thank those Health Care Workers who continue to heroically across the state of louisiana. Gettingow that they are tired. But the fact of the matter is, go. Ave a long way to so were going to continue to encourage them and support them can. St we greg. Governor, you seem concerned about the lack of compliance not being where you want it to be. Large gatherings, sometimes at churches, and Law Enforcement are reluctant to up. K these when will that happen . Governor bel edwards look, i remains brn and it the before and it remains the safe. Churches. 500 we have tens of thousands of people. He people of thousands of businesses. The people of louisiana need to say we are not going to enforce our way through this. Comply. Eed to and if you have a pastor who is going to continue to have services at d church, then im calling upon the congress rs, egants, not to the congregants, not to go. Everybody has a decision to be made here. Im calling upon leaders to be leaders. Maam. Governor, the tone seems a little harsher today. In particularhing about compliance that has become what y in addition to you governor bel edwards its just the numbers. Every day that we stay on our is a day we ctory know leads us towards an outcome to avoid. L want and im trying to stress to the it is an louisiana, outcome that we can avoid. Social ll practice distancing and observe the mitigation measures that are in place. Flatten the curve. We know it works, but it only works to the extent that we process engage in the and honor those mitigation measures and comply. So im just trying to do what i can to impress upon the eople of louisiana the importance of doing this and the importance of do it now because people out ere are there who are its kind of human nature. You see things happening. Well, thats somebody elses problem. I need all the other people to necessarily dont have to do it myself. Well, thats just wrong. For every this is Single Person in louisiana. Yes, sir. Might be r, it repetitious. Whats known as the italian they didnt learn is now being coined the were na lesson because not doing what were supposed to be doing. So my question is, maybe not where people congregate at the l. S. U. Lakes, maybe reports of way too many not being distant. Parks in new orleans. Have people going to hose areas and try to patrol them somehow . Anything to that nature . Overnor bel edwards we have Law Enforcement that are, when they see obvious violations, reminding opping, people. And those situations, people are oing what theyre being asked to do at that moment by law sorry nt agencies Law Enforcement agents. Thats happening for the most part. All of the s to people of louisiana, no matter where they happen to be. They need to take this seriously. We can do a better job. Theres a lot of compliance out too. , there really is. Theres a lot of compliance out do better, andan we need to do better and we need quite etter now because, frankly, it takes six or seven ays, i think is what dr. Birx an exposure to the vieshs to when virus to when well see symptoms and a test. Ve we should because when we instituted these mitigation seeings, we should start that curve flatten if were job. A good enough and we have not started to see it yet. Ut andre, my point is to the people of louisiana, dont just sit out there and say, oh, yeah, theres this virus circulating. Thats going to be somebody challenge. Theyll surge the medical capacity so we dont have anything to worry about. To annot surge the capacity meet the needs if we dont bend the curve. Cannot. Now, i dont accept that we are gotten cause we havent to that point yet. And if we will start to bend the we wont. But i have said it from the very reason g, there is no why the things that you see coming out of italy wouldnt louisiana if people dont engage seriously in these mitigation measures. Messaging on that has remained entirely consistent. He good news is, we still have time to do it, to make a tremendously positive difference in the outcome, but we just need sure that people are taking this seriously and doing that. Yes, sir. Can you talk more about the Field Hospitals versus the at the Convention Center, types of patients will be going to those facilities . It seems like were getting more as the numbers continue to put us on the same less is that more or where we are at right now . Governor bel edwards so it was ust at noon today when we governor bel edwards it was just today that we got word that 250 bed field medical stations are are en route to louisiana and 60 medical personnel. Doctors and nurses. We are planning how best to integrate those asset into our surge plan. I cannot tell you where theyll go but as we develop that well let you know. I can tell you that both of those will be very important. The beds and especially the people. And your second question was what . Reporter it seems like were starting to get more beds and more resources, but you still have the same projection for us running out the out of beds so were getting more resource bus the numbers keep increasing . Governor bel edwards day after day we stay on the same trajectory. We know when we run out of beds, based on our ability to surge within our existing footprint as we are doing with the hospitals, as we surge to tier 2, as we surge outside of the region this prince thats principally affected. And use the available beds in other regions. We know we still are on the path to exceed what those capacities are thats why we have to have additional surge. It looks like the v. A. Hospital. Looks like the Convention Center. And it looks like the 60person strike team that the u. S. Public Health Service is sending down here but all of that together isnt enough if we dont get off this curve. Wings, ove of these 120man 120bed wings, i should say, into the Convention Center. But and we will if we have to. But staffing those beds becomes a very becomes very, very problematic. Reporter this afternoon, Governor Abbott in texas issued an executive order, ordering any travelers going to texas from new orleans to selfquarantine for 14 day, kind of what dr. Birx said yesterday about new york city. Whats your response to that . Governor bel edwards i cant say thats inappropriate. We saw that coming out of new york city, it has to do with the amount of spread in the new york city area. The per capita case count in new york is actually higher than it is in louisiana. But were close enough, second, along with new jersey and by the way, new york and new jersey thats kind of one large metropolitan area, where i cannot say that thats inappropriate. I would hope that what Governor Abbott is doing in texas would reinforce my message here in louisiana about the immediate to stay at home. That principally is what quarantining is. And im asking people to stay at home as well. So hopefully his messaging goes along with mine and just reinforces the importance of this. And the importance of doing it now, by the way. Yes, maam. Reporter on the discussion of the strike team and epidemiological team, can you talk more about what those teams are supposed to do, what theyre supposed to focus on and when you talk about setting up Field Hospitals and the Surge Capacity, does louisiana have professionals to staff all those if theyre filled . Governor bel edwards the answer to the last question is it will be very, very difficult to staff all of the beds that we will need if we stay on our current trajectory. It is the principal reason why we need to get off that trajectory. Not just the staffing but the ventilators and so forth. Very, very difficult. With respect to the epidemiological team, im going let the doctor provide more detailed answer in just a moment but principally they come the c. D. C. And in this case upon our request in order to help us with the work that we need to do around several locations across the state where we have clusters, so that they can better help us deal with that, and then you asked a threepart question, im sorry. Reporter the same idea about the strike team. What does the strike team specifically do . Whats it its focus . Whats its focus . Governor bel edwards ideally wed receive enough personnel to administer all the beds we requested. We requested four 250person field medical stations. Enough for 1,000. What we were granted were two, so thats 500, and i dont know whether the normal numbers for 500 beds are 60 personnel above what we got or 60 personnel. His announcement came so i cant answer reporter staff for Field Hospitals . Governor bel edwards yes. We determine now where we want to set the Field Hospital up. Is it something we do at the Convention Center or somewhere else . Were working on that right now. This was Just Announced at lunchtime today. But it becomes part of our surge. By the way, its a capacity that we didnt have before it was granted. So were very, very thankful for that and doctor, if youd come and address. If youve got testing questions, go ahead and ask while hes up here. We have a small but mighty team that leads our epidemiological effort. Normally they are working on outbreaks throughout the state and whats going on now is obviously the volume of work theyre having to do is changing the way that they are doing their processes so the specific request we had for the c. D. C. Was to send experts to come down and give us guidance and ideas on how we can adjust the work that theyre doing, being prepared for scale. Weve moved from having, you know, one cluster in the state in a nursing home to now having six. We fully expect, unfortunately that that will continue to expant. We want to make sure were still delivering the key ep deem yo logic evidence that we need to understand how this disease is continuing to spread. Meeting best practices. The c. D. C. Are experts at that. And helping us adapt our practices, being prepared for having to work at a different scale. We tried to add to that team as well as take some of the other work off that team and have them laser focused on core work which is identifying clusters and communicating the best ways to isolate and protect people in the state. We anticipate that in the coming days if this trajectory continues that will be increasingly difficult. Were fortunate and grateful that the c. D. C. Is sending a team to help us gentleman just not only overall, but specifically for us to be planning on how wing more clusters across the state Going Forward as well. Reporter as far as testing, can you talk about the turnaround, getting these tests back. The new cases released today at noon, when were those tests done, kind of the turnaround and then the process of notifying parish physicians and the Health Department . Theres two big s. W. A. T. S of testing. Theres those that come to the state lab for testing. These are individuals in a hospital, potentially in a nursing facility as well. As well as First Responders and Health Care Workers. Two critically important groups of individuals we want to keep on the frontlines. Those come to the state labs. When we hear about driveup testing centers, walkup centers or 9 11 clinics, those are being done by labs like labcorpses and quests and others. Those are taking about six day, we have seen some improvement in that number as theyre better able toing more their processing. Maybe down to four days. The state lab were aiming for the 24hour to 36hour turn around that includes having to get from every corner of the state. I think a couple of days ago, maybe sunday, we were able to announce, after work with the lab, add manager automation and staff to increase our efficiency by about 35 sustaining the capacity we have there. So were still doing the 24 to 36 hour turn around. Reporter and notifying notifications are done through the lab. Thats whether its state or lab corps and quest. We contact about positive tests, negative tests go out as standard. The epi team i talked about earlier, they afterwards are reaching out to individuals to get more context. Often what we have is a name, date of birth that kind of information on a test. We now need to learn more about that individual and were they part of a cluster and things ike that reporter we have seen people die waiting on test results. . N you address that you heard the governor say if we look at the average case, somebody after exposure to the virus in the first five to seven days should have symptoms. Those symptoms are staying around for on average, the total course of the illness is about 10 days. Theres extremes on both sides. People who have been infected or exposed and then became ill 14 days later, thats why youre seeing a lot of us talk about we immediate to see two weeks to really feel confident youre out of that window. But its variable how youre going to react based on your Underlying Health, based on maybe even just the way that your body reacts to the virus. So we had a very tragic death this morning we learned about, in a 17yearold, but we have other people who im sure have been in the hospital for a while before they passed. Some people unfortunately with may have been well enough at home and then died suddenly. You have the full spectrum. The most important thing we can say is if you are starting to fill to feel ill, reach out to your primary care providers. Call their offices, dont just show up. And certainly share what youre feeling. If youre feeling critically ill if youre having difficulty breathe, anything that would normally, you know, need to call lead to alling 911, call 911. Reporter do you have a handle on how many retired doctors and nurses there could be that you could pull in. I dont have that information. If you are out there listening to this and think how can i be part of this fight . O to the website to join us. Reporter any chance any nurses or doctors that are close to graduating would be able to graduate early to help out . Governor bel edwards i know that for example at the l. S. U. Center in shreveport theyve been able to accelerate the time in which they would normally credential and license new residents. We had match day, every senior medical student on track to graduate, their residency was identified for them. Typically they come online around the first of july. I know in shreveport, i dont have the date on the top of my head, i apologize, i know they were able to accelerate. Im looking to new orleans to try to do the same. Its not just doctors but also nurses, respiratory therapists, its all of the allied Health Care Professionals across the spectrum that were trying to do this for and of course you have certain standards that are going to have to be met. Some things can be accelerated and some things cannot. But this is an arnt port. Staffing is the most difficult part of this. You know. We can work on staffing while we also work on ventilators and work on p. P. E. But you know, i could commandeer a hotel if i wanted to and say every bed in it becomes a hospital bed but i dont know who i would put there to actually render the necessary medical services. So thats this is all part of the work that were doing here as we surge our capacity. Yes, sir. Reporter you talked about the first weekend in april of new orleans overwhelming health care capacity, do you have an idea for other areas of the state like baton rouge . Governor bel edwards that may be the impression i gave and largely youre correct but its not new orleans, its region one. Youve got new orleans, orleans parish, Jefferson Parish, a large number of cases now in st. Bernard and so forth. So its all of that area together and that is the region of our state that is at risk at the earliest time of exceeding our capacity. Again, its around april 2 or 3 with respect to ventilators, based on the modeling with those we have on hand. Obviously we have ordered some. Were trying to procure them desperately. Making contact with vendors, asking for them from the Strategic National stockpile and so forth. Obviously were trying to bring additional beds online before april 8 as well. Did that answer your question . Reporter i guess i was wondering is there an idea for other areas of the state . Governor bel edwards were limited in how far out we can model at any given timism can only tell you the other regions of the state the modeling doesnt show problems by april 8. But were going to continue to model out. We know that there are going to be, at some point, more bed capacity needed in central louisiana around baton in the baton rouge area and in northwest louisiana and additional Ventilator Capacity as well. But those are out past april 8 right now. But we are planning for those areas too. And obviously were working very, very hard to make sure that those things that have been in short supply and slow to arrive actually start coming in in greater numbers and more frequently like p. P. E. , like entilators and so forth. Reporter you talked yesterday about you had an idea of getting 100 more ventilators. How many have you requested from the federal stockpile and have we received any yet . Governor bel edwards 5,000 from the federal stockpile, we received none. Today actually it was yesterday after the press conference we received 90 more. Remember i said we were looking at three groups of 100. 100 have come in and been distributed. Were looking at another group of 100 this week, 90 of those came. In that number may be 92. Reporter vendors . Governor bel edwards yes, not from the national stockpile. We expect to receive another 100 that weve identified from a particular vendor early next week. Those numbers are not the kind of numbers that we need. We need several thousand ventilators. And obviously we need them in region one first. Part of the conversation that i gingher dministrator last night with fema was around ventilators and our request. Obviously they dont have enough in the Strategic National stockpile to meet everyones needs an grant everyones requests. I just asked him that as they slice the pie make sure they slice a piece for louisiana. I havent heard back on that particular request yet. But we are leaving no stone unturned. I personally went out looking for ventilators earlier today and in conversations with some other individuals, we think we have a lead on them. But you know, theyre in short supply. And so were having to be aggressive and work as fast as we can to get our hands on as many as possible because every other state is in the same situation well, theyre not in the same situation but theyre not far behind us. Theres only a couple of other states out there right now that have the pressing problem that we have. Yes, sir. Reporter to follow up on procurement. Over the weekend when the major disaster declarations were first announced for the three states, california, herb what california, washington, new york, there was talk that those states would be prioritized when it came to getting crucial supplies like p. Pemplet and ventilators. Now that louisiana has the same designation, have the feds specifically said that we would be prioritized . Governor bel edwards look, i dont think it was just happenstance that the president called on me today. To ask me what was happening in louisiana and what our most pressing need was. It wasnt just, you know, a coincidence that he was he gave life as they put the paper in his hand that the epi team, the 60person strike team are coming to louisiana. I believe the major federal disaster declaration did elevate in the consciousness of people the situation we have in louisiana. It also has made funding available a little quicker so that the 75 of the cost is being borne by the federal government, by fema, they are prove they are approving that money faster as a result that declaration. Thats also very helpful. I would point out that yesterday i was able to announce that we were the fourth state with a major federal disaster declaration. There are a number of other states now that have come in behind us and i suspect that that number is going to continue to increase as we go forward. But theres no doubt but that the declaration that was granted by the president has been and will continue to be helpful to us here in louisiana. Last question right here. Reporter obviously we talked bout the noncompliance you are seeing across the state. I know you said youre not going to enforce our way through this but could more restrictions, harsher restrictions be on the ho rye on . Governor bel edwards one of the things i dont know what this will look like yet but one thing the president mentioned, i saw it up on the cnn screen a moment ago, is were looking either today or tomorrow, very soon, to see receive additional c. D. C. Guidance with respect to social distancing and mitigation measures that should be in place in different places depending on what the facts are on the ground in that area. And i dont know whether that guidance is going to include things that are more restrictive than what weve already been doing, i know until we start to bend the curve were not going to do anything less restrictive. Im looking bard to receiving that guidance. We continue to have conversations with our counterparts at the c. D. C. I will be reach ought to some folks in the federal government to make sure theyre watching whats happening here in louisiana and to receive whatever advice they can give me. As of now i dont have any news to make with respect to this. What i am confident of is that the state stay at home order that is in place, the social distancing guidelines that are that have already been put out there, all of those mitigation measures are sufficient to bend the curve. If the people do them. I am 100 confident of that. And if theres been a little difference in my tone today its because were one day further and we havent yet seen that curve start to flooten. Start to flatten. I want the people of louisiana to know that they may feel helpless because this is an invisible enemy, this is a virus, and its not something we contend with. They may feel helpless because im explaining all the difficulties we have around surging our medical capacity in order to meet what may be the need. But they are not helpless when it comes to slowing the spread. In fact, they are the answer. They have it entirely within their control, collectively, they have it entirely within their control as to whether we need the surge. And by what date we need the surge. And so im again imploring people to do better. We will beat this. We are going to come out on the other side. I would rather it be sooner than later. I would rather it be with less people infected and less people dying than would otherwise be the case. And we can do that, louisiana. And im confident that you will. Im just confident that you will. Again, i ask you to continue to pray for our state and for this country. For those people who died. Those family members of those people. And then those who have the disease now. That they will be restored to full health. And pray for one another that we will find the courage, the will, do what we know we need to do. There are a lot of things mysterious about this virus. But there is no mystery around what we should be doing right now. And what we should not be doing. So lets get with it. Thank you. Follow the federal response to the coronavirus jut break at cspan. Org coronavirus. Watch congress, white house briefings, and updates from governors. Track the spread throughout the u. S. And the world with interactive maps. Watch on demand, any time, unfiltered at cspan. Org coronavirus. Tomorrow, the u. S. House votes on the senatepassed coronavirus economic response bill. Theyre hoping to pass it without bringing members to capitol hill. House republican leader Kevin Mccarthy explained how that would work. Mr. Mccarthy the floor will look different. The microphones in the well will not be there, we shouldnt be that close to the people who work there, to the clerks. Thosing moring the bill will be further away. Members cant sit next to each other. As one person speaks youll have to come back and clean. If somebody, a member wants to come on the floor they cant sit next to each other, well have to clean the areas where they are. Theyll enter one door and leave another. We want to make sure were providing the help for everybody else health for everybody else