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LAPLACE – St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff Mike Tregre instated a new curfew on all residents earlier this week.

The curfew will run every day from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. due to the imminent threat to the life and health of citizens of St. John Parish by the COVID-19 pandemic, Tregre said.

The curfew is being implemented in conjunction with Louisiana Governor John BelEdwards’ statewide stay-at-home order in which business operations are limited and residents are asked to only leave their homes for essentials.

“The curfew is necessary because of the alarming rise in COVID-19 cases and deaths in St. John Parish,” Tregre said. “The curfew will help our officers assure that the governor’s order is being followed for the health and well-being of all of our citizens, as well as help our officers monitor businesses that are closed so that these businesses may remain secure.”

Essential workers are exempt from the curfew and can travel to and from work during curfew hours.  If stopped by an officer, these workers should be prepared to explain their reasons for being out after curfew. Essential businesses are also allowed to stay open past the start of the curfew.

The curfew announcement drew mixed reactions from locals on social media this week, with one user claiming, “I go and do what I please. No one will stop me,” and another claiming the move was “unconstitutional.”

Some readers were thankful for the extra safety measure and advocated for pushing the curfew to an earlier time to limit exposure outside of the home. “We need an all-day rule,” one commenter said.

A curfew has also been instated in St. James, Jefferson and four other parishes in Louisiana as of press time Friday.