NEW ORLEANS— It is going to be a busy 4th of July weekend—the busiest it has been in New Orleans since the pandemic began. Doctors want those who aren’t vaccinated to take precautions to be safe in these large crowds.

There’s lots to do in New Orleans this 4th of July weekend.

“We love it! We want to see people and we haven’t seen people in a year and we want to see them,” Dee Dee Craig from North Carolina said.

She’s visiting and said she needed a vacation after being in lockdown for a year.

New Orleans is expected to welcome the largest crowds to our city since the pandemic began and doctors say with large crowds that people who are unvaccinated need to be extra careful.

“For people who are out and about in crowds and you are unvaccinated then you should wear a mask. If you’re vaccinated it is still ok to be un-masked,” Dr. Megan Maraynes at Children’s Hospital said.

With the new highly-contagious delta variant out there, Doctor Maraynes said it is now more important to get vaccinated.

“It is basically thriving in unvaccinated people,” she said.

Graylon Rector who’s visiting from California isn’t taking any risks—he’s vaccinated.

“I feel confident in the vaccine. I’m glad to be here in New Orleans and not have to wear a mask,” he said.

Doctors can’t reiterate enough that nothing can ruin a great vacation like a trip to the hospital.

“If people protect themselves and go get vaccinated then the hope is we’ll stay under control.” Dr. Maraynes said.