NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans will not follow the rest of Louisiana in easing up on public gathering restrictions aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus.

Mayor LaToya Cantrell staked out that position Thursday hours after Gov. John Bel Edwards announced that the state will ease restrictions starting Friday. The governor gave no details on what the new phase will look like, saying he would provide more information at a news conference Friday.

New Orleans city was the epicenter of a spring outbreak of COVID-19 that made Louisiana one of the nation’s hot spots. The resulting shutdowns, including an off-again-on-again closure of bars, have damaged the city’s tourism-dependent economy. Bars that don’t serve food remain closed in the city under current guidelines.