Bourbon Street sits empty for Mardi Gras

In a typical year, party-goers would have filled the streets for Fat Tuesday, drinking from the balconies of the bars that line Bourbon Street and catching beads thrown from floats. But this year, the city has canceled the floats because of the coronavirus pandemic.

While hotels and restaurants are open, bars throughout the city have been closed and restaurants within the French Quarter do not allow to-go drinks, adding to the somber atmosphere.

New Orleans spokesperson Kelly Schulz said safety is the city's top priority. "We are trying to be festive and celebrate Mardi Gras in new and unique ways that will keep everyone safe. The biggest difference this year is that you won't see Mardi Gras parades and floats like this one parading through the streets. But New Orleans people are very creative, they're very resilient, they're trying to find new ways to celebrate," she said.

New Orleans emerged as one of the early U.S. hot spots for the coronavirus, with a high death rate that public health officials blamed on the city's higher than average incidence of obesity, diabetes and hypertension.