NEW ORLEANS — Bars in the city of New Orleans can now open indoor seating to a limit of 25 percent of the business' capacity, the city announced Wednesday.
The new, modified regulations will begin Friday, Feb. 19.
"Since the City eased restrictions and reentered a Modified Phase Two on Jan. 29, 2021, the case counts, positivity rate, and transmission rate in New Orleans have all decreased, allowing for further easing of some restrictions," said a statement from the city.
The current State of Louisiana emergency order allows bars and breweries to operate indoors at 25 percent of capacity as long as the positivity rate in New Orleans remains below 5 percent.
Bars can be open until 11 p.m.
Recent local and national cases of the UK, South African, and Brazilian variant strains of SARS-COV-2 continue to cause concern for local public health officials.
The city said the Modified Phase Two guidelines will be in place for a minimum of three weeks beginning Feb. 19, 2021, at 6 a.m.
