Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) announced the first step toward reopening the state — the return of certain types of non-emergency medical procedures starting April 27 — and he expressed hope that the state could be ready for the first stage of a cautious economic return by May 1.

The state is on a trajectory toward meeting the criteria of “phase 1” of the three-phase reopening guidance offered by President Trump last week, Edwards said Monday at a news briefing. The criteria include 14 days of fewer suspected and confirmed coronavirus cases; fewer hospitalizations, with hospitals able to manage the caseload; and robust testing.

“We don’t have 14 days where we meet the criteria, but we’ve been trending well over the last week or so to get there,” Edwards said.

He cautioned that it is too soon to guarantee what the state will be ready May 1 — and much still depends on residents obeying the statewide stay-at-home order in effect through April 30. He also noted that even Trump’s first phase does not call for starting up the economy all at once.

“I want to reopen the economy as quickly as we can do that and protect public safety and save lives all at the same time,” Edwards said.

The governor’s proclamation regarding medical procedures means that surgeries that have been put off during the pandemic will now be allowed if doctors determine that delay could be detrimental to the patient.

On the testing front, Edwards said the state needs to be administering 150,000 to 200,000 tests per month to support a safe reopening. State health officials are aiming to meet that level by the end of May. So far, the state has reported more than 141,000 tests since the beginning of the pandemic. The state health department is also planning to increase its force of contact-tracers from 70 to 700.