Louisiana’s Favorite Jambalaya Fest Axed Over Delta Case Surge
Just when you thought Louisiana was full steam ahead for festivals and celebrations, news event cancellations and postponements have started to roll in once again. Thanks to the resurgence of COVID-19 via the Delta variant of the virus, new cases and hospitalizations are once again skyrocketing - and officials in charge of events throughout the state are worried.
The latest planned celebration to bite the dust is the time-honored and delicious Jambalaya Festival held in Gonzales, Louisiana. According to WBRZ, the festival committee in charge of the event that celebrates one of Louisiana's most enduring and versatile dishes made the difficult decision late yesterday to completely cancel the popular Ascension Parish festival (originally slated for August 27th - 29th) for 2021.
This sad news comes on the heels of other cancelations across the state. The Hammond Star reports that the annual Taste of Tangipahoa will once again be cancelled due to concerns of spreading this new and more contagious form of COVID-19. In New Orleans, NOLA.com is reporting that several venues (like the Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro and the Maple Leaf Bar) have announced that they will cancel at least 2 weeks of performances due to employees testing positive for COVID-19.
Will this 4th wave of infections take us back to the heights of insanity and reclusiveness that the last one visited upon us? I certainly hope not. As for what steps you can take to protect yourself from this latest threat? The CDC says (as they have from the beginning) that getting your COVID-19 vaccine is the best defense science can offer you (other than living in a bomb shelter until this all blows over).
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