Attorney General Jeff Landry seeks to join lawsuit against New Orleans COVID mandates

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry said Wednesday he wants to intervene in a lawsuit against the mayor of New Orleans that attempts to stop her enforcement of COVID-19 mask requirements and test-or-vaccine mandates. The case, with plaintiffs mostly from Orleans and Jefferson parishes, was filed Monday in Orleans Civil District Court.

To prevent the spread of the virus, Mayor LaToya Cantrell has issued orders to restaurants, bars and other settings where people gather. Proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test are required for entry, and patrons must also wear protective masks indoors unless they are eating. Cantrell most recently reinstated the requirements last month when the omicron variant led to a rapid increase in COVID-19 cases.

Landry’s office issued a statement Wednesday that said he will file a motion to intervene in the case. The attorney general has taken similar action previously. He opposed the Biden administration’s vaccine mandates for large employers and health care facilities that receive Medicaid and Medicare funding.

“Through her coercive tactics, the Mayor of New Orleans is trying to interfere with the healthcare choices of families,” Landry said in the statement. “Like the Governor, who overrode the will of the people’s representatives and unlawfully mandated COVID shots on Louisiana’s students, the Mayor is abusing her office.

“The parents, guardians, and – most importantly – the children who rely upon services in the Crescent City deserve much better. I hope the lawsuit successfully ends this attempt to force a medical procedure on these citizens.”

The attorney general’s motion to intervene in the case can be found here.