Amid promising signs that Louisiana may have moved past the peak of its fourth COVID-19 surge, Gov. John Bel Edwards opted for caution on Tuesday (Sept. 28), extending his statewide mask mandate for at least another month.
Edwards said he will re-evaluate his order on Oct. 28 and decide if it needs be rescinded at that time or extended once more.
Edwards’ previous mask mandate had been set to expire Sept. 29.
The extension of the mask mandate was announced during a news conference in which the governor acknowledged a recent decrease in COVID infection rates but added that “the amount of COVID-19 (in Louisiana) is still incredibly high, at 243 cases for every 100,000 people.”
Noting that the pandemic is being “disproportionately driven by transmission in those 5 to 18 years old,” the governor stressed that the mask mandate includes K-12 schools as well as state colleges and universities.
“Masks have been proven to help slow the spread of COVID-19, with recent federal data from the Centers for Disease Control showing that schools without masking requirements are 3.5 times more likely to have a COVID-19 outbreak than schools where children and staff members are masked,” Edwards said. “We must do everything we can to protect ourselves and those around us who are vulnerable, including wearing masks indoors and getting the safe, effective and totally free COVID-19 vaccine.”
Read more about the governor’s renewed mask order at gov.Louisiana.gov.