Yet another STILL ONGOING worldwide pandemic [WEAR YOUR DAMN MASKS] casualty is the legendary annual celebration in New Orleans to ring in Mardi Gras with a parade, which the city has now officially cancelled for 2021.
There are days when it truly feels like 2020 has stretched into a five-year nightmare. We keep thinking of the “Star Trek: Voyager” episode “Year Of Hell,” because that really sums up this particular calendar experience.
Photo by David Mark, Pixabay
Communications Director for New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, Beau Tidwell, announced during a press conference yesterday the plans to outright cancel the parade.
“Parades of any kind will not be permitted this year because large gatherings have proven to be super spreader events of the COVID-19 virus. The mayor has neither the power nor the desire to cancel Mardi Gras. It’s a holiday, and it’s going to happen one way or another.
I don’t think this should be a surprise to anyone that this is a consideration. Parades, as we have traditionally celebrated them here, are not possible under the current guidelines, and that’s why we’re asking for people to help us work on some creative alternatives.
While we certainly want to move forward and find ways that we can celebrate, and we can mark this occasion, we have to do it safely.”
In #NewOrleans, we've raised the #COVID19 threat level to red, indicating an active outbreak. That's due to rising cases, a rising infection rate, and a positive test rate that has nearly doubled in the last week.
Mary Anne Butler (Mab) has been part of the fast-paced world of journalism since she was 15, getting her start in album reviews and live concert coverage for a nationally published (print) music magazine. She eventually transitioned to online media, writing for such sites as UGO/IGN, ComicsOnline, Geek Magazine, Ace of Geeks, Aggressive Comix (where she is still Editor-in-Chief), Bleeding Cool (where she was News Editor), and now NerdBot as News Editor.
Over the past 10 years, she’s built a reputation at conventions across the globe as a cosplayer (occasionally), photographer (constantly), panelist and moderator (mostly), and reporter (always). Interviews, reviews, observations, breaking news, and objective reporting are the name of the game for the founder of Harkonnen Knife Fight, a Dune-themed band with an international presence.
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