New Orleans Removes Mask

With Mardi Gras over, New Orleans will lift its indoor mask mandate on Thursday, following the lead other U.S. cities in recent weeks that have ended COVID-19 restrictions.

Dr. Jennifer Avegno, the city’s health director, made the move official at an Ash Wednesday news conference. She added that the city’s vaccination-or-testing requirement for entry into places like bars and restaurants could also expire on March 21.

The mask mandate ends at 6 a.m. Thursday.