Louisiana is back under a state-wide mask mandate, starting today (Wednesday, Aug. 4.)
Gov. John Bel Edwards announced the new restrictions during a Monday afternoon press conference as the state’s COVID numbers continued to rise rapidly.
The mask mandate will be followed in Washington Parish Schools, said Superintendent of Schools Frances Varnado.
The mask order requires face coverings for everyone 5 years of age or older or enrolled in kindergarten, except for the following:
•Anyone who has a medical condition that prevents the wearing of a face covering
•Anyone who is consuming a drink or food
•Anyone who is trying to communicate with a person who is hearing impaired
•Anyone who is giving a speech for broadcast or to an audience
•Anyone temporarily removing his or her face covering for identification purposes
The new mask mandate will stay in effect until at least the beginning of September, he said.
“It has never been more clear that we are in an unchecked COVID surge that, in addition to threatening the health and wellbeing of many Louisianans, also threatens the capacity of our hospitals and medical facilities to deliver care to their patients," Edwards said. 'That is simply unacceptable, and after reviewing new data from the CDC, speaking with public health advisors, and hearing from hospital leadership and the business community, I am reinstating Louisiana’s statewide mask mandate indoors, including in schools to protect our children who are too young to be vaccinated and our teachers and staff."
Louisiana has shattered its previous record for COVID-19 cases, reporting more than 11,109 new cases and 27 new deaths due to the virus over the past weekend. More than 11,000 people have died in the state because of COVID since the pandemic began early last year.
Most of the new cases are people who did not get vaccinated. The Louisiana Department of Health said that 90 percent of the people hospitalized are unvaccinated. Louisiana has one of the worst vaccination rates in the nation, and Washington Parish also has a terrible vaccination rate, with approximately 70% of the parish’s residents not vaccinated.
Hospitalizations in the state have skyrocketed since July 1. Some regions like Baton Rouge, the Northshore, and the south-central portion of the state are reporting record-setting numbers of patients hospitalized with COVID-19.
Edwards and Louisiana’s top health officers say vaccinations and masks are both needed to slow the fourth surge of the virus.
