Governor John Bel Edwards via ZOOM from his home in Amite.
Amid the recent surge of COVID cases and hospitalizations in Louisiana, Governor John Bel Edwards implored residents to take proper precautions in an effort to reduce transmission of the virus but fell short of reinstating a mask mandate for the state.
“I don’t take it off the table, because what we cannot have happen is that our hospitals lose the ability, the capacity to render lifesaving care and we will do a mask mandate before that happens,” said Edwards.
While Edwards shared the latest statistics of the Omicron surge in Louisiana, he said even though a mask mandate is not in place it doesn’t mean one should ignore their vital use to mitigate COVID.
“But I would ask that people not focus on whether there’s a mandate in place, the recommendation is the same, we know that masks work, so especially indoors with people you don’t live with wear a mask,” said Edwards.
The governor encouraged more people to get vaccinated and or boosted because COVID vaccinations have shown to significantly reduce hospitalizations and severe illness.
Edwards recognizes that wearing a face mask is an inconvenience but it’s a minor request in an effort to keep more people from falling ill or even hospitalized.
“And quite frankly in the grand scheme of things the inconvenience is so minor compared to what it’s like to be in a hospital struggling to get oxygen or watching a loved one,” said Edwards.
Edwards also acknowledged that many COVID testing sites are overwhelmed and the difficulty of locating home tests. He said if you are showing symptoms and unable to get tested assume you are positive and isolated.
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