New Orleans mayor recommends no large events in 2020, says organizers should focus on 2021

NEW ORLEANS, La. (WVUE) - As the City of New Orleans works to flatten the curve of COVID-19 cases, the mayor is now recommending that there be no large music festivals or events for the rest of the year.

Mayor Latoya Cantrell says big events like Jazz Fest, French Quarter Fest and Essence Festival should redirect their efforts to 2021, saying that no big events should be allowed this year.

This comes after Orleans Parish has seen one of the deadliest days to date with 32 deaths in Orleans Parish in the past 24 hours.

Cantrell says she’s already been in talks with the coordinators of those big events and says there’s more that will come about in the future.

She says that it is not only New Orleans and Louisiana to consider. There are tourists from neighboring states and around the country who will be going through their varying coronavirus fights.

Jazz Fest has postponed until Fall and French Quarter Fest has postponed until October.

As far as the Saints games go, Cantrell says she doesn’t know what that will look like but is basing her opinion on the fact that people will still need to travel to and gather at these events.

Cantrell said over the Easter weekend, the NOPD did respond to a number of calls indicating to her administration that people are still moving around the city, movement that they’re again discouraging and asking residents to stay home.

“Simply because of the impacts in terms of our recovery. We’re not just impacted in terms of what we are doing in our city, we’re impacted by what’s not happening in other cities around us in other states that are further behind us,” says Cantrell.

Cantrell says she has not yet spoken with the NFL about what Saints games would possibly look like this year. But she still maintained the travel from visitors nearby and across the country and large gatherings were still concerning to her.