LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) – Gov. John Bel Edwards will testify in federal court this afternoon as part of a lawsuit about his order closing bars and its effectiveness in slowing the spread of COVID-19 across Louisiana.

Data indicates Louisiana’s case growth has slowed in the weeks since the Governor’s order that closed bars, mandated face masks and limited the size of social gatherings. 

Louisiana has more than 137,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with the largest growth in people ages 18 to 29.

Nearly 20 percent of known outbreaks that have been traced by the Louisiana Department of Health have been linked to bars, despite the fact that these businesses were closed for many weeks.

The White House Coronavirus Task Force recommends bar closures for states like Louisiana that are in the “red zone” for new cases and test positivity. 

The hearing will be at 2:30 p.m. at the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, presided over by Judge Robert R. Summerhays.