Louisiana was the second state to reinstate its mask mandate Monday in response to rising coronavirus hospitalizations and case numbers.This order, which will be in effect until Sept. 1, requires residents to wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status. It also applies to students in kindergarten through college. Nevada joins Louisiana as the only state to have reinstated mask mandates. However, Nevada's order applies only to counties with high rates of transmission.In a statement by the Governor, Dr. Joseph Kanter, Louisiana's state health officer, stated that "the data in Louisiana clearly point out the severity of our condition, and the urgency for us to act now." John Bel Edwards' office announced the mandate.To combat the spread, Louisiana recommended that residents use masks indoors on July 23, in order to prevent the spread of the delta variant. If the coronavirus epidemic continues to grow, then more severe measures may be taken.The Department of Health and Human Services calculated that 14% of Louisiana's hospital beds were being used for Covid patients as of Monday. They also found that almost 19% of all state-hospitalized patients have the coronavirus.Johns Hopkins University data shows that Louisiana had an average of 4,119 coronavirus cases per day last week. This is a sharp increase from the state’s daily average of 2,414 cases between July 18 and July 25. According to the governor's office, the state is currently experiencing "the worst pandemic surge". This includes a high rate of case growth, a high percent of positive cases, and hospitalizations.
