The state of Louisiana has joined a growing list of states who have closed restaurants and bars in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, or coronavirus as it's commonly known. The announcement was made today.

Governor John Bel Edwards also announced he's limiting gatherings to 50 people or less.

States like California, Illinois, Ohio, Massachusetts, and Washington all preceded Louisiana in making the move. Similar to those states, Louisiana's ban will still allow to-go, drive-through, and delivery orders.

The move comes after police in New Orleans were forced to break up gatherings over the weekend. NOLA.com reported that police had to break up a St. Patrick's Day celebration on Saturday, while WWL reports that police broke up gatherings in the French Quarter.

These bans will be in place until April 13.

The state of Louisiana has been increasing testing over the last week, and as more tests are being conducted, the number of those diagnosed have steadily increased.

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