NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)— In an effort to clear up just how vaccine mandates in businesses would work in New Orleans, city hall is stepping up to help with manpower.

NOLA Communications Director, Beau Tidwell stated, “We have a solution for that. Right now through our Job1 program, we have staffing and we have funding to put people at the door that can help you check vaccinations at the door. For those facilities that are having trouble doing that, please reach out to Job1. We have people that want to work, we have funding to pay them and we can do that, as I understand it, for up to 6 months.”

CLICK HERE FOR INFO ON THE JOB1 ASSISTANCE FOR BUSINESSES

Tidwell commended the businesses that are already complying and stated that enforcement of the new policy will begin Monday August 23 and businesses not in compliance will face consequences, “As we’ve kinda done throughout this, Code Enforcement has been the lead on this, and their protocols are going to be if you’re found to be in violation and they can determine that on the spot, you’re going to get a cease and desist.”

One big test is happens on the Monday the 23rd, as the Saints take on the Jaguars in the Superdome.

Tidwell says they are not considering limiting the amount of people at the game, “We are not making adjustments or guideline changes to their capacity because the expectation is they’re going to fall in line with compliance on mask mandates and vaccine requirements. They’ve been a really good partner in this, and we hope that they’ll continue to do so.”

The vaccine mandate does allow for folks to present a negative COVID test within days of attending events or going to businesses and for some this is cumbersome, but there’s not much sympathy coming from city hall.

Tidwell indicated, “For many people there’s a frustration there that’s like ‘I have to keep doing this.’ Yeah, it would be better to just get the vaccine.”

CLICK HERE FOR INFO ON OPEN NOLA GRANTS