The Mayor of New Orleans is trying to cancel all large events and festivals for the remainder of the year in an attempt to stop the spread of coronavirus.
As a city with an economy largely dependent on tourism, conventions, and festivals attempts to stays "safe," the New Orleans citizens will enter a recession later this year.
The weight on the shoulders of New Orleans will lead to more deaths from crime, overdoses, suicides, strokes, and poverty.
Mayor Latoya Cantrell has made some mistakes in the past but cancelling all big events through the end of the year might be her biggest blooper yet. We're only four months into the year and she's over here making decisions that will destroy local businesses for the next 8 months.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell said Tuesday that French Quarter Festival, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Essence Festival and other large events should be canceled for 2020 due to COVID-19.
“My opinion is all of that (should be) pushed back. Period,” the mayor said April 14. “My recommendation is absolutely no large events, such as French Quarter Fest and Jazz Fest, even Essence Fest, as it relates to 2020. They should focus on 2021.”
The statement came during a news conference in which the mayor repeatedly urged residents to “stay the course” and adhere to social distancing standards, wear a mask in public and stay at home to curb the spread of COVID-19. It came on a day when the Louisiana Department of Health’s daily report of cases and deaths showed a jump of 129 new deaths, the largest single-day jump — the previous high mark was 70 — the state has seen since the pandemic started.
You'll never be "safe". You risk your safety every time you drive in a car, attend a public gathering, or consume high-sodium food products. "Safe" is an illusion; a relatively object concept. But "Free" is 100% absolute. Free doesn't have a grey area. Choose "free".
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JULY 06: Reverend Al Sharpton, Mayor LaToya Cantrell, Michelle Ebanks, and Cory Booker attend 2019 ESSENCE Festival Presented By Coca-Cola at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 06, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)