For the second year in a row, White Linen Night, the event that draws art-loving crowds to the galleries of Julia Street wont be happening, as scheduled, due to Covid concerns and advice from the mayors office. The event was to take place on August 7th.
The cancellation is due to Louisiana Covid numbers and hospitalizations on the rise. As of August 5th, it was reported that there were 3,905 news cases of Covid confirmed, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 470,314 in the state.
In a press release, it was noted that event officials hope to reschedule the event for some time in October. The release also noted that the galleries of the district will be open for regular First Saturday openings from 6 pm to 9 pm, but individual gallery hours may vary. A mask mandate is also in place in the state and masks will be required to enter any gallery.
At a press conference on Monday, Governor John Bel Edwards expressed his frustration at the rising Covid numbers, reinstated the state-wide mask mandate.
It has never been more clear that we are in an unchecked COVID surge that, in addition to threatening the health and wellbeing of many Louisianans, also threatens the capacity of our hospitals and medical facilities to deliver care to their patients, he said. That is simply unacceptable, and after reviewing new data from the CDC, speaking with public health advisors, and hearing from hospital leadership and the business community, I am reinstating Louisianas statewide mask mandate indoors, including in schools to protect our children who are too young to be vaccinated and our teachers and staff. This decision is not one I take lightly, but as the fourth surge of COVID-19 is upon us, we know that mask wearing when you are in public is one way to greatly lower your risk of spreading or catching COVID.
He also urged eligible citizens to get vaccinated against the disease.
We have the tools we need to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our communities and save lives, and I am pleading with unvaccinated Louisianans to get their shot as soon as they can to protect themselves, he said. We can end this nightmare, but it is going to take all of us working together to do it.
