Louisiana is going to lift the statewide indoor mask mandate, except for schools that allow parents to decide whether to quarantine their kids after a COVID-19 exposure in the classroom, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Tuesday. “I stand here today optimistic, relieved that the worst of the fourth surge is very clearly behind us now,” said Edwards, who reinstated the mask mandate in August as the state faced an increase in COVID-19 cases driven by the Delta variant of the virus. He said the improved situation was a “direct result” of the people who chose to get vaccinated and follow masks rules and other restrictions. He added that while the mask mandate will stay in place for K-12 schools, school districts can opt-out if they follow the existing quarantine guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In general, the CDC recommends that students who come in …