NFL season in doubt as New Orleans mayor calls for large events to 'be pushed back' to 2021

LaToya Cantrell urges 2020 festivals and other large events move to next year as city reels from coronavirus

Mayor LaToya Cantrell says she's uncertain whether NFL games can be held in New Orleans in 2020, though the league has not announced plans to delay its upcoming season. (Getty Images)

New Orleans mayor LaToya Cantrell has recommended all major events on the city's 2020 calendar be postponed to 2021 as uncertainty over the coronavirus pandemic looms, dealing a significant blow to the thousands of workers who rely on the city's tourism and hospitality-driven economy.

Her calls also cast doubt over the future of NFL games in the city, which hosts the Saints football team and the 75,000-seat Superdome.

During a Tuesday press conference, the mayor said: "I don't think anyone has a clue right now. We're looking at hypotheticals, we're looking at data, but ... the data doesn't lie and it clearly shows us without a unified strategy nationally. Its impacted our response locally, across the country."

At least 1,103 people in Louisiana have died from Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, with roughly half of all deaths in the state in the city's metropolitan area, as of 15 April.

Postponing large-scale events could also remove the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival — a massive two-week music and food festival that attracts thousands of people to the city — as well as several other festivals from the 2020 calendar, depriving the city millions of dollars in tax revenue and severely threatening the livelihoods of countless workers in the region.

Essence Festival, which postponed its Fourth of July weekend event to the fall, announced that its cancelling its 2020 event in the wake of Mayor Cantrell's statement.

She said: "My opinion is all of that should be pushed back, period ... Absolutely no large events as it relates to the year of 2020."

New Orleans also hosts the NBA's Pelicans, whose season has been postponed indefinitely along with all NBA games. NFL officials have not announced plans to delay the league's 2020-2021 season. A league schedule has not been announced.

The league's televised draft remains on the schedule for later this month, though it will not include any public events.

Greg Bensel, senior vice president of communications and broadcast for the Saints and Pelicans, said in a statement that the organisations "are being very proactive in working with health care professionals, our medical staff and both the NBA and NFL" while in "constant contact" with city officials.

As the Saints prepare for a planned return to Superdome in the fall, "our highest priority will be the health and safety of our fans, staff, players and coaches. It is what we need to do and are doing relative to planning to play and we will be ready," Mr Bensel said. "And considering the economic and cultural significance of the Saints, we are working to do everything in our power to make it work. It's too important for our city."

Mayor Cantrell says she doesn't know what the future of league sports looks like in New Orleans under a pandemic threat.

She said: "If we're well and we're better, and better than even our surrounding areas and states and who comes, I think we'll have to think about that. It'll all be factored into not only when New Orleans opens back up, but when the state and when the United States truly opens back up to where we are confident and comfortable but safe in going about our way."