Starting Monday, Lousiana residents eight years old and up are required to wear a mask when indoors and outdoors and you cannot be physically distant from others. Governor John Bel Edwards says many might not agree with this order, but he says research shows face masks can slow the spread of COVID-19.
“If we will do the things the CDC is recommending that the White House Coronavirus Taskforce is recommending, those things we put in our proclamations, we know that the transmission rate will slow, we know that will happen,” said Edwards.
Businesses will be required to tell people they must have a mask on while inside their location. Edwards says the order exempts people with certain medical conditions from wearing a mask, but he says if that’s the case you shouldn’t be near people outside of your household anyways.
“Then you have a health condition that makes you vulnerable to COVID-19 and you need to exercise extreme caution under any circumstances,” said Edwards.
The governor has also ordered all bars closed as the state has moved to third in the country for per capita cases. He says based on contact tracing at least 36 outbreaks started in bars and the number is likely higher.
“You go to bar to socialize and when you drink you are not wearing a mask and when you drink you lose your inhibitions and when you are listening to music you have to speak louder to be heard and you have to move closer to hear them,” said Edwards.
Bars will remain closed and the mask mandate will remain in place until at least July 24th.
Comments