Mardi Gras To Return In 2022 With Route Changes
New Orleans Mayor, LaToya Cantrell, confirmed on Tuesday (Dec. 21) that Mardi Gras 2021 is on, amid growing concerns about the rapid spread of the COVID-19 omicron variant.
At a press conference with public safety officials and her Mardi Gras advisory council, Cantrell announced parade route changes for the event, WDSU reported.
"This is not a one size fits all approach. Safety is our top priority," she stated.
According to WWL, a police shortage prompted most routes to be shortened by several blocks, but almost all parades will start and end close to their normal locations.
All the parades are expected to roll on their traditional days, NOLA.com reported. City officials said the route changes are temporary and will be reevaluated for 2023.
In 2021, city officials prohibited parades at Mardi Gras celebrations to limit the spread of COVID-19. The announcement came in November 2020 at a time when coronavirus cases began to rise in Louisiana and many other parts of the country. New Orleans became a COVID-19 hotspot, likely from the massive crowds that gathered for Mardi Gras 2020, with up to 50,000 cases traced back to the festivities.
