All residents aged 12 and above must be vaccinated or provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test in order to enter numerous public locations, including restaurants, clubs, gyms, music venues, sports arenas, and more, according to the city of New Orleans. This makes New Orleans the latest city to take a firm stand on immunization policies and COVID-19 testing on a regular basis. During a recent press conference, Louisiana Mayor LaToya Cantrell said that the City of New Orleans would begin enforcing its vaccination requirements on August 16th.
“Look for your vaccination card and be prepared to show it,” she said while also noting that a one-week grace period will be allowed before the new requirement will be aggressively enforced.Mayor Cantrell also stressed that despite the rising COVID-19 numbers within the state, she is not imposing capacity limits on businesses or contemplating a shutdown that occurred last year, instead she’s relying on residents to be vaccinated in order to keep things open. “Unlike this time last year, we have a tool that we did not have,” she said.
Due to an unacceptably low statewide vaccination rate, which is reportedly one of the lowest in the country, Louisiana is one of the country’s hotspots for the Delta strain of COVID-19. In addition, many New Orleans restaurants and bars have already implemented their own vaccination policies, demanding proof of immunization or a negative COVID-19 test done within 72 hours of entrance. Sports venues are featured alongside restaurants, clubs, gyms, fitness facilities, and music venues, including the Superdome in New Orleans, where the NFL season is slated to begin soon.
