NEW ORLEANS — In response to the exponential growth of new COVID cases and hospitalization statewide, Mayor LaToya Cantrell today reinstituted an indoor mask mandate in Orleans Parish and announced that all City of New Orleans employees and contractors must be vaccinated against COVID-19.
As COVID hospitalizations surge across the state, now exceeding 1700 individuals, hospital capacity has been severely impacted. Hospitals have shut down elective procedures and emergency departments are full. This is due to the more contagious and more deadly Delta variant of COVID-19.
In order to order to quickly curb the dangerous and rapid spread of the Delta variant, an indoor mask mandate will be in effect immediately in Orleans Parish. Everyone, regardless of their vaccination status, should wear a mask indoors when with people who are not members of their immediate household.
Additionally, Mayor Cantrell announced that COVID-19 vaccines will be mandated for City of New Orleans employees and contractors who work for the City. Contractors have been notified and more information about how to prove vaccination status or access a vaccine will be made available to employees early next week.
Guidelines will be updated shortly at https://ready.nola.gov/covid. For ongoing COVID updates from the City of New Orleans, text COVIDNOLA to 77295.
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