Shreveport may mandate face masks to fight COVID-19

SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER CITY, La. (KSLA) — Shreveport may require people to wear face masks or some other form of face covering to help curtail the spread of the coronavirus.

When asked about a possible mandate, Mayor Adrian Perkins issued the following statement to KSLA News 12:

Bossier City Mayor Lorenz “Lo” Walker says he does not plan to make people wear masks, but he strongly encourages their use.

In his weekly video update Thursday, Walker also urges people to be diligent in washing and sanitizing their hands, to stay home if they are sick and to cooperate with contact tracing efforts.

The number of coronavirus cases continues to rise in Bossier City. The city recorded 186 new cases and three deaths in the past week, Walker said.

That brings the total number of COVID-19 cases to 906. Thirty-one people have died since the pandemic first struck.

“We’ve seen it hit more close to home here lately,” said Fire Chief Brad Zagone, who joined Walker and Police Chief Shane McWilliams in the video briefing.

The Fire Department has recorded its first positive COVID-19 case.

Zagone thanked Ochsner LSU Health in Shreveport and Dr. Martha Whyte, medical director for the state Office of Public Health’s Northwest Louisiana region, for helping ensure that other Fire Department personnel have not been exposed to the virus.

Meanwhile, the Bossier City officials advise residents to take advantage of the city’s online services.

Anyone who needs a service at the police station that cannot be handled online should make an appointment if possible, McWilliams says.

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