BATON ROUGE - Lawmakers say Louisiana's legislative session is being put on hold as the state takes precautions amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The state legislatuire confirmed the decision in a statement Monday afternoon. The legislative session is planned to resume March 31.

Just got a text from state lawmaker saying he has received word that the legislature will be suspended until March 31st @WBRZ

— Johnston von Springer (@johnstonvon) March 16, 2020

“The public health crisis at hand has placed the legislature in unchartered waters,”  President Page Cortez said. “With every decision we make, we are balancing the health and welfare of our citizens, staff, and legislators with our constitutional responsibilities. At this time, we believe it is in the best interest of our state to temporarily adjourn the session.”