NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana — The City of New Orleans recently entered phase 3.2.
Under those guidelines there can be indoor live entertainment allowed with a special permit.
However, no singing, karaoke or windblown instruments.
Outdoor stadiums can be at 50 percent with a cap at 500.
Bars and breweries can have 25% capacity with a cap at 50.
Breweries with a special permit can have 25% of people indoors and 100% capacity outdoors with a cap at 50.
Many people who frequent bars in the French Quarter are glad people are able to reconnect with others they hadn't seen in months.
"'It's awesome, we've been walking around, and the quarter has been empty except for tourists and all that, now the bars are open outside where we can at least gather and see our friends," Nita Randolph said.
Staff at B-Mac's, a bar in the French Quarter, said they were concerned at the height of the pandemic in March.
The owner of the bar said she had to take out loans to make sure they were able to pay workers since there was not revenue to keep the bar open.
Now since the city is in phase 3.2, it's a chance to get back to some normalcy.
"We are so happy to interact and be able to open up with outside seating," Mia Matassa, a worker said.
Other bar owners in the city are glad the city is loosening restrictions.
The owner of Lots a Luck, a neighborhood bar in Lakeview has changed the outdoor area to hold more people and stay in compliance.
"This our re-opening, plenty of room plenty of air great weather, so we've been doing good,"Gary Messina, Lots a Luck owner said.
Bar owners are hoping one day the city can return to normal and at the same time keep people safe.
"If they gave all of us that opportunity, we could show the city and the state we could do this safely, let us go back to what we're good at," Matassa said.
