CENTRAL – Hours after the mayor-president of East Baton Rouge Parish announced a mask mandate for those out and about across the parish, mayors of Central and Zachary said the requirement does not apply within their city boundaries.

““The mandatory mask order issued by Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome today does not apply to the City of Zachary,” the city of Zachary posted in a message from Mayor David Amrhein to social media. Amrhein said mask requirements will be left up to the decisions of local businesses.

A mask is required to access a Zachary public facility and will continue.

“The City of Zachary will continue to require masks upon entering city owned properties,” Amrhein said and stressed CDC recommendations of practicing social or physical distancing of 6 feet.

Central’s mayor also said masks will not be required there.

“Masks are not mandatory in public in the city of Central,” Mayor David Barrow said.

He, too, stressed the importance of social distancing and hygiene.

In a Facebook post, Barrow said: “Please consider wearing a mask, but I do not feel government should mandate it.”

Area law enforcement and prosecutors were working Wednesday to decipher the mask policy and how possible enforcement would work.

There's confusion over who will enforce @MayorBroome's face covering mandate. Both the @EBRSheriff and @EBRDA said they were not briefed about the executive order before it was announced. @WBRZ

— Chris Nakamoto WBRZ (@ChrisNakamoto) July 1, 2020

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