Read Governor Edwards Mask Mandate For Yourself
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards has enacted a state-wide face mask mandate in response to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. Edwards made the announcement on Saturday, signed a Emergency Proclamation that night, and it went into effect at 12am today.
During the Governor's press conference to announce the mandate, there appeared to be a lot of questions that went unanswered. There were also a lot of eyebrows raised with some of the statements the Governor made. Including a statement that this new mask mandate would not be enforced at churches or religious gatherings.
This new proclamation wasn't limited to just face-masks though. It included changes to the restrictions on bars across the state. Effectively shutting down all bars for inside service. Bars that exist inside restaurants appear to be allowed to continue their service.
But the biggest unanswered question seems to be centered around enforcement, and punishment. Here is the section of the order that addresses the possible punishments:
"Citations under this Section shall be written only to businesses or organizations, other than religious organizations, that fail to enforce the requirements to wear face coverings. Operators of businesses and organizations are entitled to rely on the representations of their customers, patrons, or employees regarding whether or not they qualify for an exception from the face covering requirements. Businesses and organizations that rely on such a representation shall not be deemed to be in violation of this Emergency Proclamation"