Get Ready, Mask Requirements Spread Across Louisiana

Though the State of Louisiana has avoided mandating mask-wearing in response to COVID-19, cities and Parishes in the state are starting to require them. Including Louisiana's largest city, who is now targeting one of the biggest businesses in the world.

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell has started a fight with Walmart stores over some of their more relaxed guidelines. The Mayor has referred to Walmart as "bad actors" and has threatened to close their stores down if they don't follow her personal rules. Her main complaint appears to be customers being allowed to shop mask-free.

But this movement isn't isolated to the Mayor of New Orleans. Jefferson Parish president Cynthia Lee Sheng is now instituting mandatory mask-wearing across her Parish. The responsibility will to enforce will be placed on the businesses according to Sheng. Which probably doesn't set up the best scenario for businesses who employee teenagers or lack security. But Sheng's rules go even further than you might expect.

In Jefferson Parish, Sheng is now including non-public facing businesses, which goes much further than Governor John Bel Edward's rules. Sheng now wants masks worn in all "common areas" of office buildings.

This might all seem thin and unenforceable, but at the present time, this is actually very enforceable. The Governor has stated numerous times that local leaders can create stricter guidelines than his, but not more lenient guidelines. As far as how enforceable it is, the State of Louisiana are now sending authorities into businesses instead of waiting on someone to report the businesses. These authorities are designed to start the process of stripping business licensing from local businesses.

At this point, it appears to be only a matter of time until similar rules are placed on other cities and Parishes, or for the state as a whole. So it might be time to invest in some emergency, or backup, face-coverings to make sure you're not caught flat-footed when asked to wear on to get ketchup from the store.