New Orleans has one of the highest vaccination rates in Louisiana, but local officials are pushing for more. City officials say living the way we like to live depends on it.
While most capacity limits have been lifted, social distancing of six feet between people is still required at local businesses, and masks for the unvaccinated are recommended. New Orleans mayor's office spokesman Beau Tidwell says it will take more to really get back to normal.
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"All the progress that we want to make, in terms of events that we hope to see this fall, in terms of reopening the economy, in terms of full attendance at Saints games, all of that is dependent on vaccination rate," Tidwell said.
Tidwell says there's more than just Saints games at stake -- there's Jazz Fest, French Quarter Fest, second lines, and more.
"There's a million festivals going on in October, and for the social aid and pleasure clubs, all of that activity hinges on vaccination continuing to grow and have that uptake," said Tidwell.
New Orleans Health Department director Dr. Jennifer Avegno says it will take between 70 and 75 percent of the city's residents -- men, women, children -- being vaccinated in order to reach "herd immunity," when the virus will have significant obstacles to spreading. Tidwell says Dr. Avegno and other public health officials haven't settled on an exact number within that range. So how many more need their shots?
"More than we are now, right? Right now, we're 56, we need that number to grow," Tidwell said.
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So if the Who Dat Nation is to greet the Green Bay Packers in full force with more than 70,000 screaming fans at the Superdome on September 12, more people need to get vaccinated