HOUSTON, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Governor of the U.S. state of Louisiana John Bel Edwards on Tuesday announced the relaxation of the remaining COVID-19 rules.
According to the governor, such easing of restrictions will include an end to the statewide school mask mandate. Local school districts will still be allowed to set their own mask rules.
"Masks will be required in educational settings until the end of the current academic semester, beginning with the summer programs for this year," Edwards said. "Each school district will set its own mask policies."
Meanwhile, masks will still be required on public transportations, health care facilities and prisons, he said.
According to the Louisiana Department of Health, the southern state added 1,043 new COVID-19 cases and 13 new deaths, bringing the total cases to nearly 470,000 and the total deaths to 10,548. Over 1.4 million people, or a little over 30 percent of its population, have completed their COVID-19 vaccines. Enditem
