The state of Louisiana moves into Phase Two of the economic reopening Friday. The change means establishments outside of New Orleans, which remains in Phase One, that previously operated at 25% occupancy will now see that increased to 50%. State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says that means more people inside restaurants and churches.
“We’re allowing restaurants to do a different type of table spacing as well as our churches to do a different type of seating arrangment, all based on the improvements of the COVID numbers in Louisiana,” said Browning.
Movie theatres, gyms, shopping malls, museums, barbershops and salons will all be able to increase capacity to 50% with social distancing. Casinos and video poker establishments can increase to 50% capacity, limited to 75% of their gaming positions.
Bars without food permits are opening at 25% capacity, but Browning says there are still going to be restrictions on live entertainment.
“You can’t have a band in any building in the state, including a bar. We still were able to keep a safe guidance as to where you could have a band sitting outside with a restaurant situation,” said Browning.
Browning says businesses where a service is rendered with from an employee to a client with long amounts of time in close contact will also be opening with some guidance on virus spread mitigation.
“Massage services, tattoo services, estheticians, those will all be allowed to open. And as I say open, there will be a lot of details and a lot of guidance and recommendations that we’ve been trying to give business owners,” said Browning.