Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins has announced a "mask advisory" for the city of Shreveport. This comes after everyone's attention in the Ark-La-Tex shifted to Caddo Parish when the Caddo Commission began discussions about a "mask mandate." The vote on the mandate for the parish was delayed for at least two weeks.

The Delta variant has several healthcare officials worried since we have seen a dramatic increase in COVID-19 cases. Mayor Perkins spoke to KEEL News and emphasized the importance of being vaccinated. According to Perkins, Shreveport isn't doing great when it comes to our vaccination rates. Shreveport is under 30% and the state of Louisiana's average is 35%. Due to those numbers and the skyrocketing cases in Shreveport the mayor made the announcement which already has several community members frustrated.

Here is what Mayor Perkins said on his Facebook Page:

"To prevent further spread of COVID-19 and the aggressive Delta variant, I am issuing a mask advisory for the City of Shreveport and encouraging citizens to wear masks in indoor settings.

Since the onset of this public health emergency, we have relied on our medical experts for guidance. They are now warning us of the threat that the highly transmissible Delta variant poses to our unvaccinated residents.
Ask your neighbors and friends to wear a mask in public to save lives and help keep our businesses open."

Does this mean that you will be fined if you walk into a business without wearing a mask? No. However, you may see several businesses ask their employees to wear masks again in order to protect their employees. Unlike the proposed mask mandate in Caddo Parish, this "mask advisory" is not suggesting you be fined for not wearing a mask.

We are expecting Governor John Bel Edwards to make an announcement today concerning a 'mask advisory". We are sure he will be urging Louisiana residents to wear a mask since we are up over 1,000 hospitalizations as of yesterday.

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