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NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — The start of the Carnival season in New Orleans began Jan. 6 with king cakes in office break rooms across the city.

But the real revelry came when the ‘Phunny Phorty Fellows’ made their annual ride on St. Charles Avenue.

Captain Peggy Scott Laborde said everyone was fully vaccinated, and safety was the priority for all the Fellows.

On the Catholic calendar, Carnival always begins on the Feast of the Epiphany, whether it is celebrated or not.  And on this day in Louisiana, the state health department reported more than 14,000 new cases of COVID-19 – the highest single-day number since the pandemic began. 

Mayor Latoya Cantrell stressed today that New Orleans has the highest vaccination rate per capita of any city in the nation.

But Governor John Bel Edwards cautioned that the latest COVID surge across the state had not reached its peak, and krewe members should remember that Carnival balls are large, indoor gatherings – the very definition of community spread.

To see the full story, watch the video from WGNO News at the top of the page.