NEW ORLEANS — The sounds of jazz filled the streets of the French Quarter Saturday afternoon as lots of folks enjoyed a sunny day.
“I’m happy, because they’re doing it everywhere else,” said New Orleans local John Moore.
Many shops and restaurants are busy, with reminders to mask up and physically distance.
“It’s shocking. It’s amazing because the last time I came out here was maybe about a month ago and it was like a ghost town,” said New Orleans local Ms. Jones-Platenburg.
The holiday weekend has state leaders sending out a warning about potential surges in new coronavirus cases.
“What we don’t want is a repeat of what we saw for Memorial Day,” said Governor John Bel Edwards.
For Jones-Platenburg and her friend visiting from Texas, the holiday weekend can still be a time to take in the sights while being mindful.
“I guess if we listen, wear your mask and practice social distancing we’ll be alright, and wash your hands,” said Jones Platenburg.
Even with a good number of folks out and about, some businesses that would traditionally be packed with customers this weekend are still boarded up, unable to open because of current restrictions.
This weekend is always one of the busiest of the year for OZ nightclub because of Southern Decadence, but because of the pandemic, it’s canceled.
“Having gone through Katrina this isn’t the first hard road that we’ve had to travel,” said Sarah Manowitz, General Manager of OZ.
For businesses that are open, like NOLA Poboys, they rely on the ripple effect from the city’s bar scene, which is shutdown.
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“They’ve got to open the bars,” said NOLA Poboys owner Murray Tate. “This is the engine that drives the economy in this town, besides the port. This is the one that brings the 19 million visitors here a year. They’re not here and so everyone around here is struggling.”
Back out on the street, locals and tourists are trying to balance safety and support.
“You’ve got places around here that have been around for 50 to 100 years that are struggling and closing. So, it’s troubling to see but at the same time you don’t like to see people sick,” said Moore.