Louisiana lifts mask mandate amid sharp drop in COVID cases

By MELINDA DESLATTE
Associated Press

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana is ending its statewide indoor mask mandate after emerging from its latest and worst coronavirus spike of the pandemic and seeing a sharp decline in new COVID-19 infections. Gov. John Bel Edwards announced the decision Tuesday. It marks one of the first mask mandates enacted for the delta variant-fueled outbreak to be scrapped. The Democratic governor is lifting the mask requirement for grocery stores, restaurants, bars, retailers, colleges and other sites. But some of Louisiana’s K-12 schools will have to keep masking if they don’t follow tight quarantine rules. The changes take effect Wednesday.