Entrance into the Bayou Classic will likely require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19, according to New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell.
The city announced Thursday after patrons to restaurants, gyms, and even sporting events would need to show either proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test result within 72 hours.
The edict, says Cantrell, would apply to the Superdome, where the annual Bayou Classic football game between Grambling and Southern has historically taken place.
Also read: ‘We’re looking forward to it:’ The Bayou Classic will be played
“The situation is dire and we are simply out of time,” Cantrell said. “Sports complexes and stadiums, this includes the Superdome. Concerts, centers, music halls, event spaces, and adult performance venues. Casinos and racetracks also included in this.”
New Orleans has been one of the several cities hit hard by the recent coronavirus surge largely spurred by the delta variant mutation of the virus.
The city’s 7-day average for new cases is 319 and its positive test rate is 12.2 percent.
Last year’s Bayou Classic was moved from New Orleans to nearby Shreveport after the SWAC Council of Presidents and Chancellors voted to postpone fall sports because of COVID-19 concerns and renovation work being done on the Superdome.
