"It's not one or the other its both" Gov. Edwards continues to urge people to wear masks and get vaccinated

The rapidly escalating surge in covid-19 infections is once again overwhelming hospitals across the U.S. That is especially true in hot spots such as Louisiana, which hit a record number of coronavirus hospitalizations last week. Nearly 2,900 virus patients have been admitted to hospitals - and state health officials say the number of cases may not peak for several more weeks.

Governor John Bel Edwards spoke with CNN's Don Lemon about the importance of wearing masks and getting vaccinated, " I will tell you we have a mask mandate in place because all of the medical profession here in Louisiana told me it was absolutely essential to curb transmission and reduce the demand on hospitals. Not just for COVID patients but for all patients. You can be a stroke victim, you can be a motor vehicle accident victim, and you need the hospital's attention. You need a bed you need a recovery room or the ICU and so forth. So it's incredibly important. The mask mandate is to curb transmission while we get more people vaccinated. It's not one or the other its both"

Louisiana has the country’s fourth-lowest vaccination rate.