UPDATED: Central Catholic lifts mask requirement; School Board will look at rules for public schools

Gov. John Bel Edwards on Tuesday lifted the mask mandate he imposed early in the deadly fourth wave of COVID-19.

"After sustained improvement across the state in new cases, test positivity and hospitalizations, I will lift Louisiana’s statewide mask mandate in all settings except for K-12 schools, which may opt out as long as they continue implementing existing CDC quarantine guidance," Edwards said at a Tuesday press conference.

The exceptions are schools that followed a controversial policy put in place at the urging of state Superintendent Dr. Cade Brumley. That policy allowed parents to decide whether children exposed to COVID-19 would be quarantined. Opponents said the policy risked exposing more children to the coronavirus. Proponents said kids need to be in school for learning and for access to nutrition, health care and other services.

Less than 3% of Louisiana's COVID tests are now returning positive results, said State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter. COVID hospitalizations are back to the levels where they were before the fourth wave, fueled by the Delta variant, began in July.

Tuesday night, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux announced that masks would no longer be required at its schools, including Central Catholic in Morgan City, beginning Wednesday.

"Please note that face coverings are still optional for any students or staff members choosing to do so," wrote diocesan Superintendent Suzanne Delaune Troxclair in a press release.

"Both our governor and leading medical professionals have shared the positive news of the significant and ongoing improvement in COVID-19 case statistics in Louisiana. Compliance with all mitigation practices has had a positive effect on our school environments regarding COVID-19 cases."

All passengers on school buses are still required to wear masks, Troxclair wrote.

Mask protocols at St. Mary public schools are likely to be added to the agenda for a previously scheduled special meeting at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Central Office Complex in Centerville.

"In order for the school district to change the current mask requirement, the board will have to adopt any changes regarding accepting the option discussed by the Governor yesterday ...," St. Mary Superintendent Dr. Teresa Bagwell said in an email Wednesday.

For now, masks remain as a requirement for all schools and offices as previously adopted by the board in its Student Dress Code Policy (Policy JCDB) and in the St. Mary Instructional Continuity Plan that outlines all protocols for the reopening of schools duri+ng a statewide public health emergency."

The special meeting had been called to choose an interim board member to replace Sylvia Lockett, who died Oct. 5.