Gov. Edwards, LDH Update COVID-19 Guidance, Recommending All Louisianans Now Wear Masks Indoors for the Duration of Louisiana’s Fourth COVID Surge

July 23, 2021

As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to rise in Louisiana, and following the designation of Louisiana by the White House as a “state of concern” because of its rapid case growth and insufficient vaccination rate, today Gov. John Bel Edwards and the Louisiana Department of Health issued updated guidance recommending that all people, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, wear masks indoors when at least six feet of distancing is not physically possible during the fourth surge of COVID-19.

Updated LDH guidance on masking, testing for vaccinated people and workplace accommodations is part of Louisiana’s strategy for ending its fourth surge of COVID, alongside increasing its vaccination rate. Additional measures may be announced later if the situation worsens.

“The White House has notified Louisiana that we are a State of Concern because we are the leading edge of the COVID-19 surge, due to the rapid spread of the Delta variant among the unvaccinated in our state. Indeed, Louisiana leads the nation in case growth, with 47 cases per capita. This should come as no surprise to anyone who has watched our case counts and hospitalizations continue to climb, and it necessitates additional guidance for how all people should stay safe in Louisiana right now, including wearing masks indoors, when unable to maintain social distancing, testing after suspected exposure even if they are vaccinated and, if possible, working remotely from home to limit exposure to groups,” Gov. John Bel Edward said. “Right now, Louisiana has the best tool it has ever had to fight this surge: the COVID-19 vaccines. Encouragingly, our weekly vaccination rate has bumped up which I believe means everyone knows how urgent the situation is. We need even more people in our state to go sleeves up and take the COVID-19 vaccine. Increased vaccinations, when coupled with more masking, testing and distance, can get us out of the fourth surge, but only if people take action quickly.”

“We are in a very dangerous surge right now,” said Dr. Joseph Kanter, State Health Officer. “To ensure their own safety people in Louisiana should take precautions immediately. Masking and testing will limit death and suffering until we make it through this.”

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