NEW ORLEANS — VIDEO NOTE: The video above is from previous coverage of the restrictions put on Louisiana's bars where bar owners called for hours to be extended.
New Orleans bars and restaurants are getting a big boost this weekend.
The City of New Orleans is easing COVID restrictions and allowing bars and restaurants to serve alcohol until 1 a.m.
Until recently, the 11 p.m. curfew on alcoholic beverage sales was a state-wide mandate. Gov. John Bel Edwards lifted that rule at the end of March as the COVID-19 vaccine became widely available and the number of new coronavirus cases and deaths dropped.
New Orleans leaders chose to keep the 11 p.m. limitation in place at the time.
The changes go into effect at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 9.
Louisiana's mask mandate and social distancing requirements still remain in effect.
Bar and restaurant owners WWL-TV spoke with in March said the couple extra hours at the end of the night can make a huge difference.
“That extra hour or two really makes all the difference in the world when you add it up over four or five weekends a month. I mean, that’s the difference between surviving and not surviving,” Robert LeBlanc with the LeBlanc and Smith Restaurant Group said.
Here are New Orleans current COVID-19 restrictions as of April 9 at 6 PM:
Businesses are allowed to open at 75% capacity
Mask Mandate
- Masks are required in public.
- Masks are required when around anyone outside of your household.
- Masks are not required when engaged in outdoor personal exercise, athletic competition, or when actively eating or drinking.
Social Distancing Required
- All activities must include strict social distancing.
- Businesses, residents, and visitors should ensure 6 feet distance between groups of people who do not live together.
Gathering Sizes
- Indoor gatherings are limited to 150 individuals, with masking and social distancing required.
- Outdoor gatherings are limited to 250 individuals, with masking and social distancing required.
Live Entertainment and Special Events
- Live entertainment may be performed at bars, concert halls, music halls, live performance venues, and event venues following the capacity limits based on the business type.
- All venues must obtain a Special Event Permit or a Certificate of Registration to allow live entertainment.
- Singing and wind-blown instruments will now be allowed indoors, however the establishment must follow all guidelines set forth by the City and State.
Alcoholic Beverages
- Restaurants and bars: Restaurants, bars, breweries, and event venues can serve alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption and to-go between 6 a.m. and 1 a.m.
- Packaged liquor: Packaged liquor sales in the French Quarter and CBD is limited to the hours of 6 a.m. and 1 a.m.
Not Allowed
- Block parties
- Second lines and parades
- Dance clubs