NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans public school students will no longer have to wear masks in the classroom.
Starting Monday, March 21, New Orleans Public Schools is lifting its universal masking recommendation for grades K-12.
Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis Jr. said the change is based on new federal and local guidance, given the low levels of community spread of COVID-19 in New Orleans.
“I am excited for our students and staff to be able to interact with each other in a more natural way and return to a sense of normalcy,” Lewis said. “For anyone who feels more comfortable wearing a mask in school, we encourage them to continue to do so.”
The change comes two years after the first case of COVID-19 was diagnosed in Louisiana.
Since then, the Louisiana Department of Health has reported nearly 17,000 deaths linked to COVID-19.
The City of New Orleans recently lifted it's own mask mandate for indoor gatherings after Mardi Gras.
Louisiana's coronavirus emergency order expired on Wednesday.
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