Some of the biggest festivals in the nation are getting cancelled or postponed due to the coronavirus. Could we see that here in Louisiana? State Immunization Director Dr. Frank Welch says they are monitoring the situation and working with event organizers.
“We have the ability to close down events and schools and things like that. We rarely do that, because we work with festival organizers and schools and things like that and we come to a mutual decision,” said Welch.
Southern California’s Coachella and Stagecoach are moving the events to October. Austin’s South by Southwest and Miami’s Ultra Music Festival will not be holding events in 2020.
The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival takes place over the course of ten days and welcomes around 400,000 visitors each year. Welch says COVID-19 is not going to spread well in an open-air environment.
“But avoid large crowds and sort of that acquaintance contact. We’ll limit the spread of disease that way,” said Welch.
Welch says COVID-19 still has the ability to spread at festivals if people are greeting each other with hugs, kisses or handshakes, but also sharing cups, glasses, and utensils. There are other steps to take to avoid contamination.
“Hand washing, covering your cough, not touching your face a lot especially after you’ve touched a bunch of surfaces. These common sense things can keep us free of not only COVID-19, but many other things that are spreading around,” said Welch.
All of the St. Patrick’s parades in New Orleans this weekend have been canceled.
