We’re now just three weeks away from Mardi Gras and with COVID cases dropping quickly it looks like the celebration will be pretty safe for those who’ve been vaccinated and boosted.
“If you are vaccinated and boosted you can feel pretty confident moving about the crowds in an outdoor setting,” Dr. Ben Springgate with LSU Health New Orleans told WWL.
Hospitalizations for COVID in the New Orleans region are at their lowest levels since late December and percent positivity on new tests is under five percent. Both numbers continue to drop and it’s likely that the city will be at near pre-Omicron levels of community spread by Mardi Gras weekend.
But what about those who aren’t boosted, or not vaccinated at all? Springgate said Carnival becomes a little dicier for those groups. Only 40% of fully vaccinated Louisianans are boosted and Springgate said in the heavy crowds that extra level of protection will be important.
“That booster shot makes a big difference as far as your safety when you are going to be surrounded by a lot of other people,” said Springgate who noted that if you get a booster this week it’ll be fully activated by the time Endymion and Bacchus roll.
As for the unvaccinated Springgate cautioned your risk level will be much higher, but if you get your first jab now, you’ll at least have some protection in time to wade through the hundreds of thousands of people who will flock to New Orleans at the end of the month.