Story at a glance
- New Orleans is set to reinstate its indoor mask mandate as the city prepares for Mardi Gras.
- The mandate will take effect on Wednesday at 6 a.m. and apply to all indoor public spaces.
- Mardi Gras falls on March 1.
New Orleans is set to reinstate its indoor mask mandate as the city prepares for an influx of tourists ahead of the Mardi Gras season.
City health director Jennifer Avegno said at a weekly press briefing on Tuesday that the mandate will take effect at 6 a.m. on Wednesday and apply in all public spaces, including restaurants, bars and public transit, according to 4WWL.
Avegno added that the city is averaging around 1,233 new cases per day, which is three times higher than the previous high mark set in April 2020.
The mandate will also apply in all public K-12 schools, unless the institution has isolation policies consistent with guidelines set by the state health department.
“Even if our cases begin to decline in the next week or two – and I believe that is likely – hospitalizations and deaths will lag, likely for at least the next month, and that’s right up to the time that individuals from areas with lower vaccination rates and later omicron surges will be at our doorstep,” she said, according to the outlet.
Celebrations typically occur in the last few weeks of February — this year, Mardi Gras falls on March 1.
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State data shows that there were more than 12,000 new COVID-19 cases reported in the past day. Meanwhile, approximately 1,900 Louisiana residents are hospitalized with the virus.
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