It appears that New Orleans will be celebrating the Carnival season in 2022, but Mayor LaToya Cantrell as well as her advisory council of Krewe Captains are closely monitoring COVID-19 trends.

The city and leaders surely do not want Mardi Gras next year to become the super-spreader event that it was in 2020. Cantrell is tasking krewes to think of additional mitigation measures to ensure riders and visitors stay safe.

The Krew of Boo will be rolling in a couple of weeks, so this may be a good test for the city.

Cantrell said that riders will be required to be vaccinated or have a negative COVID test.

"We are coming at this with the spirit of wanting to have Carnival Season roll in 2022. We're doing everything we can to ensure that happens," Cantrell said.

New Orleans Health Director Dr. Jennifer Avegno said that while vaccination rates in the city are high, krewes need to encourage people to mask during their events and get vaccinated if possible.

"It's really hard to change parade characteristics to make Mardi Gras a low-risk event," Avegno said. "We have to put those layers of protection on all other events that we do."

Barry Kern, President and CEO of Kern Studios, said that he believes the city is ready to welcome people back safely.

“It’s our business number one, but also, it’s the business of New Orleans to put on events. Frankly, I’m hoping that this will be the message to the world just like Mardi Gras was post-Katrina that New Orleans is open for business and we’re ready to go,” Kern said.

 

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