BATON ROUGE - On the heels of Governor Edwards' phase 3 announcement Thursday, Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome says East Baton Rouge will stick to its mask mandate until the next phase of Louisiana's reopening plan.

The governor said earlier in the day that the state would move into phase 3 on Friday but offered few details as to what that would look like. One of the few details offered by the governor was that masks will still be required when the order takes effect Friday.

The mayor-president took that a step further Thursday afternoon, saying that the parish will "stay the course in mitigating COVID-19." Broome says the parish-level mask order will stay in effect through the duration of phase 3, regardless of how the statewide mask order might change in the coming weeks.

You can read the full statement from the mayor's office below.

"While I am pleased the vast majority of our community is working together to move forward through the pandemic, I remain concerned about the health of our residents and our economy.

As of today, the rate of COVID-19 in our community has plateaued, but it has not gone down to a safe level. Right now we are closely monitoring any resurgence of the coronavirus in East Baton Rouge Parish as it relates to the recent Labor Day holiday. We are also keeping a close eye on the number of new cases, hospital capacity and positivity rate among those getting tested.

To that end, East Baton Rouge Parish will stay the course in mitigating COVID-19:

· I have ordered our mask mandate be extended until [the state moves out of phase 3].

· We have partnered with the State Fire Marshal’s Office to enforce COVID-19 restrictions. Concerned citizens can call 211 to file a complaint.

· Our residents should also take advantage of the free federal surge testing currently available in our community, known as Geaux Get Tested. Visit DoINeedACovid19Test.com for details.

At this point, it is critical we wear face coverings, avoid crowds, and avoid gathering with people outside of our household or core support group. I am calling on our residents to double down on our efforts to protect our health and economy."