NEW ORLEANS - Governor John Bel Edwards said there will be a heightened law enforcement presence in the Crescent City during Mardi Gras to ensure partying doesn't get out of hand. 

During his latest coronavirus briefing Thursday, Edwards said the state is sending additional state troopers, as well as staff from the fire marshal's office and ATC, to ensure rules are being followed during the usual Mardi Gras period. The governor added that people traveling to New Orleans with no intention of following those restrictions are "not welcome here."

Though most major Mardi Gras parades have been canceled, officials fear the carnival season will lead to huge, unsafe gatherings around the city. A major point of concern is the French Quarter, where large crowds of partiers gathered as recently as this past weekend.

Louisiana is currently coming off another surge in coronavirus cases brought on by the holiday season, during which COVID hospitalizations eclipsed 2,000 statewide.