BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana's transportation department said it will start enforcing a mask requirement Monday for nearly all passengers on the state's ferries in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The Department of Transportation and Development said the mask mandate follows the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requirement issued last month that called for people to wear face coverings on public transportation. The CDC order makes refusal to wear a mask a violation of federal law, enforced by the Transportation Security Administration and other federal, state and local authorities.
Passengers remaining in their vehicles with the windows raised on Louisiana's ferries will have an exemption from the face covering requirement. But Louisiana's transportation department said all other passengers, including walk-ons, motorcycle riders and people who exit their cars, will be required to wear a mask.
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