New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell announced Monday on her website that parades will not be permitted during the 2021 Mardi Gras season.
“The City of New Orleans cannot cancel Mardi Gras because it is a religious holiday, however we will not be able to celebrate the Holiday this year as we have in the past,” the website read.
Some Mardi Gras Krewes may still hold modified Balls, the website said, but they must follow COVID-19 guidelines.
“With COVID-19 cases increasing around the country, we will have to modify how to observe carnival season to be safe for everyone,” the website read.
Baton Rouge officials have not yet announced whether parades would be permitted in the city for Mardi Gras. According to WBRZ, East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome’s office said the mayor plans to meet with Baton Rouge Mardi Gras Krewes to discuss parades.
New Orleans is not the only city where parades are cancelled. According to Mayor Cantrell’s website, St. John the Baptist Parish announced the suspension of all Mardi Gras parades during the 2021 season in October and Brazil canceled its Carnival for the first time in a century.