Just in time for Easter weekend and on the heels of the state easing its restrictions, the City of New Orleans today announced modifications to the Phase III guidelines in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Effective April 2, Under the modified restrictions, all indoor public and private gatherings are limited to 150 individuals and outdoor public and private gatherings are limited to 250 individuals. Also, Outdoor Recreation Spaces and Sports Complexes will be allowed to open at up to 50 percent of standing capacity. Indoor Recreation Spaces and Sports Complexes will be allowed to open at up to 25 percent of standing capacity. Any events taking place in recreation spaces or sports complexes that are not athletic competitions, must obtain a special event permit.
No additional changes to the New Orleans guidelines are being made now. With a large African-African population that has been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and early case counts that were among the highest in the state, officials in New Orleans have set their own guidelines that have typically been a little stricter than the statewide measures.
The modifications come as the City continues to see improvements in several categories used to track the COVID-19 spread. As of today the case counts, transmission rate and positivity rate have all been in a decline for more than eight weeks. Average case counts are below 50 cases per day, the positivity rate is under 1 percent and the transmission rate is well below 1.0. However, concerns remain, especially considering the reversal of trends in several states, as well as the spread of stronger variants that are being detected in several cities in Louisiana.
To read the City’s modified Phase III guidelines, click here.
