According to Mayor LaToya Kantrell, the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, all indoor customers will be required to present proof of vaccination or a negative covid-19 testing within 72 hours to gain admission to bars, restaurants and stadiums.
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Do not look for excuses to be different. Do not look for loopholes. Cantrell stated that you should have your vaccination card on hand and be ready to show it when the new requirements are announced.
The new rules will be in effect Monday, August 16, and include virtually all indoor activities that are open to the public such as gyms, casinos and skating rinks.
The new rules will apply to the Superdome, which is home to the Saints football team. The rules will apply to residents of Louisiana and visitors from out-of-state to New Orleans. This is a crucial point for a city like New Orleans that is heavily dependent on tourism.
Recent weeks have seen a disturbing rise in covid-19-related cases in Louisiana, with 5,287 new cases and 54 deaths last Thursday. Louisiana has the lowest covid-19 vaccination rate in the country with only 37.9% of its population fully vaccinated. About 45% of the population has received at least one dose. The national vaccination rate is 50.9%. This number is well below what epidemiologists would consider herd immunity.
YouTube has the mayor's announcement. It includes an anecdote about how her vaccine card was laminated and how she used it to prove her vaccination status over the weekend.
Mayor Cantrell said that I tried it out at Saffrons on Saturday. It was no problem. It was a proud moment to have my car laminated. It was easy to pull it out. My friend was also with me, and she found her LA wallet. She pulled it out, and we had a blast.
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Although the mayor would like to grant businesses a longer grace period for compliance, it is simply not feasible. He urged businesses to enforce the new rules as quickly as possible.
The new policy will take effect Monday. We will then begin aggressive enforcement actions the week following. We expect to be there in enforcement around August 23rd. Cantrell stated that he encourages businesses to activate immediately and not wait.
Acceptable proof of vaccination is the Louisiana Wallet apps Smart Health Card, a photograph of your vaccine card (front-and-back), or an official record from a health provider.
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New Orleans is not the only U.S. place to introduce new vaccine requirements for indoor spaces. Similar measures were announced by San Francisco to New Orleans on Thursday. Anyone 12 years old or older must show proof of vaccination in order to gain entry to bars, restaurants and theatres. San Francisco's vaccine mandate will be in effect on August 20th, which is earlier than the August 16 deadline in New Orleans.
We have a vaccine. Mayor Cantrell stated that this vaccine is the only way to get rid of this virus. We must act immediately. We don't have the time.
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Thinking about 2022 makes me so serious. This virus is not something I want to spread into another year. Cantrell stated that we can't sustain this blow and shouldn't have to.
New Orleans is where we begin our year. It starts in January. But it begins with activities and events that set us apart from other places in the country. I'm going to say that it is possible to do this anywhere in the world.
