NEW ORLEANS — On Wednesday morning, Mayor Cantrell announced the guidelines for New Orleans under the Modified Phase III plan.
The announcement comes in response to encouraging data on the COVID-19 pandemic – including sustained decreasing case rates – while updating residents on progress to get vaccinated.
“We are doing well because people have demonstrated civic trust, and they have been doing the right thing to get us where we are today. The numbers are what they are because people have been doing the right thing, and we have collectively been putting in the work. So we are on a good track and in a good spot to move to a modified Phase Three,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell.
The Modified Phase Three goes into effect at 6 a.m. Friday, March 12. The move comes as New Orleans has a case rate of 1.5% – one of the lowest in the state.
Starting Friday at 6 a.m., retail stores, restaurants, salons, tattoo parlors, movie theaters, museums, and offices in Orleans Parish will be allowed to increase to 75% capacity with social distancing and masking still required. Bars, breweries, gyms, fitness centers, and conference venues will be able to operate up to 50% capacity, again with social distancing and masking required. Concert and music halls with fixed, permanent seating will be allowed to increase to 75% capacity with a maximum of 250 people. These changes are aligned with the State of Louisiana’s Phase Three guidelines.
Indoor live entertainment will be allowed, but venues are encouraged to read the guidelines due to the specificity of some of the restrictions. Under the State rules, restaurants that host indoor live entertainment are required to decrease their capacity to 50% rather than the 75% allowed without live entertainment. All venues hosting live entertainment in New Orleans must obtain a Special Event Permit or a Certificate of Registration from the Department of Safety and Permits.
“We’ve gone from an early hotspot to prolonged mitigation with recurrent ‘ripples’ of surge,” said Health Director Dr. Jennifer Avegno. “In the last month, new cases have continued on a steady decline and are now back in a comfortable zone of 1 to 10 cases per 100,000 that national experts agree indicates low to moderate transmission.”
At the press conference, Dr. Avegno answered questions regarding the three COVID-19 vaccines that are available, as well as mass vaccine locations.
Dr. Avegno also presented a slideshow, representing where New Orleans stands on the fight against COVID-19.