Today, Louisiana enters into Phase 3 COVID restriction which also keeps the mask mandate in place as neighboring Texas and Mississippi abolish their mask requirement; causing a political divide among the Gulf South states.
“We are not out of the woods by any means and people need to realize that as we have been saying very clearly throughout the entirety of this pandemic there remains a risk and there remain reasons for people to remain vigilant,” said Louisiana State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter.
Today, Alabama joins Louisiana in holding on to the state’s mask mandate. Governor Kay Ivey announced she is extending the state’s mandatory face mask order for 30 days as cases and hospitalizations in the state are on the decline.
“Because of your personal responsibility & strong adherence to safety protocols, we’re finally rounding the corner,” Alabama Governor Kay Ivey said in a tweet.
Meanwhile, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed an Executive Order earlier this week ending the state’s mask mandate. This comes on the heels of Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves announcing that he is rolling back the mask mandate in his state.
While Texas and Mississippi end their mask mandate some businesses in those states opted to keep a mask requirement in their retail stores.
As of Wednesday, the Texas Department of Health reported 4,781 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and 297 new deaths.
Mississippi State Department of Health reports 479 new COVID-19 cases and 21 new deaths as of Tuesday’s reported data.
