Gov. John Bel Edwards has lifted the mask mandate. The mandate was originally put into place due to the fourth surge of COVID cases within Louisiana. When the mandate was reinstated in August, Louisiana had the nation’s highest number of COVID cases. Since then, the number of COVID cases in Louisiana has dropped significantly.
While the mandate has been dropped for those in grocery stores, bars, restaurants, and other such businesses, the mandate remains for those in K-12 schools. This is because children under 12 are not able to get vaccinated and thus are more at risk for COVID. School districts with tight COVID procedures will not be required to mask up, but those with more lax procedures still require a mask.
Not everyone is following Gov. John Bel Edwards’ lead though. Louisiana State University has decided to maintain its mask mandate until the end of the semester. New Orleans also announced that it will maintain its mask mandate.
While the drop in COVID cases is a welcome sight, there is still a chance for another surge within Louisiana. Only 47% of the state’s population is fully vaccinated. This leaves a lot of room open for another wave of cases, and a new wave of mandates and restrictions.
