Governor’s new health order doesn’t include mask mandate

By Wes Muller
Contributing Writer

(lailluminator.com) — Faced with signs of a fifth coronavirus surge in Louisiana, Gov. John Bel Edwards issued a new emergency health order Tuesday, December 21, that requires face masks to be worn in many state-owned buildings and recommends – but does not require – face masks elsewhere in public in an effort to decrease the spread of the virus’ latest omicron variant.

The news comes after positive case counts reached 1,729 in Louisiana last Tuesday. Hospitalizations have also taken a sharp upturn, climbing roughly 30 percent over the last seven days, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.

“The alarming spread of the omicron variant…threatens to reverse all of the progress made in Louisiana over the last several months,” the governor’s order states.

State agencies in the governor’s cabinet will require masks of employees and visitors to their offices, though not in the Capitol building, which is under the authority of the Louisiana Legislature. The governor has also permitted the heads of agencies outside of his direct authority to implement their own face mask policies as they see fit, Edwards’ spokesperson Shauna Sanford said.

Among the COVID-19 mitigation measures in the order, anyone at higher risk of severe illness should stay at home, and all individuals “are recommended to wear a face covering” whenever indoors outside of a private residence.

Edwards left in place the existing mask policy at K-12 schools.

This article originally published in the December 27, 2021 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.