The state reported nearly 6.000 new COVID-19 cases on Friday. Governor John Bel Edwards says for the last couple of days 28% of all new cases are in children and this is troubling with schools re-opening.
“So more cases were reported by Louisiana schools during the first week of this school year than were reported in any week of last school year and more cases were reported in the first week of this school year than were reported in the aggregate of the first two months of last year,” said Edwards.
Edwards says transmission among children is very high which is why a mask mandate is in place for schools.
“And if we are going to curve the overall amount of transmission in cases we are seeing in this state are children are a big part of that which is another reason why masking is very important in our schools,” said Edwards.
Two public meetings in Baton Rouge this week were disrupted by anti-mask protesters, upset their children are forced to wear a mask, calling it child abuse. But Edwards says everyone has a role to play in slowing the spread of COVID and failing to do so can have lethal consequences.
“And those who fail to make the adjustments might just die with COVID and cause other people to die because of COVID, it really is that simple,” said Edwards.