EBR Mayor-President holds mask giveaway ahead of statewide mandate
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BATON ROUGE – On Monday, a statewide mask mandate will go into effect in Louisiana.
“I think the Governor's statewide mask mandate will help us as we deal with these elevated numbers of COVID-19. I always say it's temporary discomfort for long-term gain,” said EBR Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome.
Broome already made wearing a mask a requirement in Baton Rouge. On Sunday, Sharon Weston Broome spent the day handing out free masks to emphasize the importance of them, and a couple hundred showed up.
"It's very encouraging. We've done several mask giveaways and it's always good to see those cars coming through, which substantiates, I believe, that there are more people who want to comply than those who don't,” said Broome.
According to the Mayor's Office, the positivity rate for COVID-19 in the parish was up 14.5 percent this week. Broome says these mask mandates will help decrease that percentage, and prevent reverting back to phase one of reopening the economy.
“Anytime you deal with any issues in life there are going to be people with their own views. But I am of the belief that there are more people that want to have a safe, healthy and happy thriving community than those that don't. If we have to shut down, we're going backwards. I feel like most of the people want to move forward and not regress."
The mask giveaway was held at World Shakers Church International.