Assemblyman John Lemondes (R,C,I-Lafayette) joined his Assembly Minority colleagues at a press conference calling for an end to draconian mask mandates for children. After a weekend of flip-flopping and inconsistent messaging between the governor’s office and the state Health Department, Lemondes believes the time is now to unilaterally end mask mandates for all children.

“It’s mind-boggling that after fighting COVID for 15 months now, state agencies still can’t get it together and come to the right decision, or speak in one clear voice,” Lemondes said. “With positive COVID cases in rapid decline and vaccinations up, there is absolutely no reason to have kids in masks, especially for outdoor activities like summer camps. We know they are the least likely to spread the virus, and older children are now eligible for the vaccine, so why are we continuing to recommend such inane policies?”