 Louisiana
governor lifts indoor mask mandate except for K-12 schools
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[October 27, 2021]
By Kanishka Singh
(Reuters) - Louisiana Governor John Bel
Edwards said on Tuesday that the state was ending its indoor mask
mandate, except for K-12 schools, because of the decline in the growth
of new coronavirus infections.
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 The governor's updated order allows school districts to opt out of
the mask mandate as long as they continue to follow the existing
quarantine guidelines recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention to better separate exposed students and
faculty members from others and avoid outbreaks on campus.
CDC guidance still says everyone 2 years of age or older who is not
fully vaccinated should wear a mask in indoor public places.
"Today, I am cautiously optimistic and very relieved that the worst
of this fourth surge of COVID is clearly behind us, which is a
direct result of the people of Louisiana who stepped up to the plate
when we needed them to and put their masks back on, got vaccinated,
and took extra precautions to stay safe", the Democratic governor
said in a statement.
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 Local governments and private
businesses may choose to continue to require and
enforce mask requirements under the governor's
order, which takes effect on Wednesday, the
statement added.
In August, Edwards reinstated a statewide indoor
mask mandate for both vaccinated and
unvaccinated people, as COVID-19
hospitalizations in the state had risen.
The Southern U.S. state has had over 750,000
COVID-19 cases, with over 14,400 deaths from the
coronavirus. About 56% of state residents aged
12 and over are fully vaccinated, according to
data from the CDC.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru;
Editing by Peter Cooney)
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