Edwards ends virus restrictions, lifts schools' mask mandate
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Tuesday that he's scrapping nearly every remaining coronavirus restriction in Louisiana and lifting the statewide requirement that students must wear a mask in the classroom and at school events.
The Democratic governor will keep the statewide public health emergency declaration in place, but Louisiana will have almost none of the rules governing businesses and behavior that were enacted over the last 15 months of the pandemic.
Edwards cited the wide availability of the coronavirus vaccine in Louisiana, saying anyone who wants the protection offered by immunization against the COVID-19 illness caused by the virus can receive one. But many people aren't bothering to get the shots, with only 31% of the state's 4.6 million residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
The final vestiges of the restrictions that Edwards had left in place over the last month — including limits on bars, live music venues, athletic events and large gatherings — all will be removed under the new executive order to take effect Wednesday.
Masks still will be required on public transit, in health care facilities and in prisons and jails, as suggested by federal officials. But the other remaining face covering requirement for early learning centers, K-12 schools and universities will end. School district and university leaders can decide on their own if they want to mandate masks for summer school, summer camps and fall classes.
The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education had asked Edwards to lift the mask mandate for K-12 schools and leave that decision to local school systems.
“My desire has been that we would move closer to putting this decision back in the hands of those closest to students, and no one is closer than a child’s...