Louisiana to allow businesses to reopen with restrictions Friday

Louisiana’s governor on Monday announced some businesses, including restaurants, gyms and salons, would be allowed to open with restrictions Friday as part of a multi-step plan to restart the state’s economy amid the coronavirus outbreak.

A notice on the governor’s website says bars that serve food, theaters, barber shops, nail salons and gyms will be allowed to reopen Friday, but will be limited to 25 percent capacity. Restaurants can reopen for dine-in service and places of worship can begin holding in-person services with the same restriction. Theme parks, playgrounds, water parks, tattoo parlors, spas and bars that don’t serve food are among the places that will remain closed.

Louisiana will move to Phase 1 under the White House COVID-19 guidance this Friday, May 15, which removes the Stay at Home order & allows additional businesses to open under strict occupancy, protection & social distancing guidelines. #lagov #lalege

: https://t.co/xQggnjGTUC pic.twitter.com/JV1PKY5H26

— John Bel Edwards (@LouisianaGov) May 11, 2020

Though the stay-at-home order will be lifted, Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) encouraged Louisiana residents to continue taking precautions.

“Right now, the data shows improvement, and we also now have a much more robust testing and contract tracing program underway, which will allow us to better identify cases and isolate those who may have been infected. However, we are not out of the woods and if we see a dramatic spike in cases, we may have to increase restrictions. Our lives will not go back to normal for some time,” the governor said.

“Louisianans who are at high risk of dying from COVID-19, including the elderly, residents of long-term care facilities and those with poor control of certain illnesses, should continue to stay at home and only leave their homes only for essential reasons, like seeking medical care, going to an essential job or getting food,” he continued.

States across the country have begun reopening nonessential businesses and lifting stay-at-home orders, though public health experts warn restarting public life too quickly could cause spikes in coronavirus cases and deaths.

Louisiana has seen almost 32,000 case of coronavirus and more than 2,200 deaths.