BATON ROUGE - Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome says East Baton Rouge has no plan to mandate the coronavirus vaccine despite news that New Orleans will soon require the shot at restaurants, bars and other venues. 

The mayor told WBRZ on Thursday that she does not plan to enforce a vaccine requirement but is still encouraging residents to get the shot. As of Thursday, East Baton Rouge has a 41.74-percent vaccination rate.

New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell announced at a news conference Thursday that people must provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to enter many businesses starting next week.