KEY POINTS

  • Several pictures showing the crowded street of Bourbon surfaced online
  • Twitterati slammed the partygoers who violated the health protocols
  • Some Twitter users wondered whether the photos were old ones

Come Mardi Gras season and Bourbon Street in the heart of the French Quarter in New Orleans, Lousiana, is bustling with activity and the pandemic doesn't seem to be a dealbreaker for the revelers.

Several photos have surfaced online showing hundreds of people swarming the historic street over the weekend, throwing caution to the wind. Twitter users have expressed concerns about the irresponsible merrymaking as most people are seen without masks, not abiding by restrictions aimed at combatting the spread of COVID-19.

“Wow, scary. No Masks or distancing,” says one Twitter user. “More super spreader events."

“So many of us have been killed because of these mass spreader events,” tweeted the other. “Now with the new mutations and variants, it will be worse than the first two waves if we don’t get vaccinated ASAP.”

Meanwhile, some netizens expressed their concerns about the snaps.

“I’m trying to figure out what time this was [because] it was real [sic] dead out there,” one Twitter user replied to the thread.

“Same! We’re on Royal,” another one said. “It was cold and rainy and [definitely] dead from what we saw on our Rouse’s trip Saturday evening.”

However, one user alleged that the snaps looked like old ones since the people in the snaps were not appropriately dressed for the weather on that weekend.

Another social media app user replied to the thread and expressed her concern about the safety protocol violation while emphasizing that the strict measures won’t start until next week.

Every year, the people of New Orleans celebrate Mardi Gras, which is French for "Fat Tuesday." This holiday is the day before Ash Wednesday, and it begins a season of fasting for many Christians leading up to Easter Sunday. Today, Mardi Gras season in New Orleans is a time of merry-making and festivity. Many clubs in the city sponsor extravagant parades and masked balls in the weeks leading up to Fat Tuesday.

Mayor LaToya Cantrell of New Orleans had announced that the legendary parades would be canceled this year because of COVID-19.

Along with the cancelation of parades, several bars for indoor and outdoor dining will be closed from Feb. 12 to Mardi Gras day. WBTV further reported that liquor stores would be closed and the sale of alcohol will be banned.

Portions of the French Quarter, including Decatur, Bourbon, and Frenchmen Streets, will be reportedly close to traffic.

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