Crowds are warned to stay away from New Orleans in the days leading up to Mardi Gras to slow down the spread of the coronavirus.
Police Chief Shaun Ferguson held a news conference with state police and the sheriff of New Orleans on Friday to drive home the danger of large gatherings and said an order to close the bar that went into effect on Friday would be finalized. is by ‘Fat Tuesday’, the end of the annual -Festivals.
All parades in the city were also canceled.
Last year’s Mardi Gras celebrations, which usually visit thousands of tourists in the city, have now apparently contributed to an early rise in infections in Louisiana.
The city said Bourbon Street would be closed to cars and pedestrians every day from 7pm to 3pm, with access to residents, business staff, hotel guests and restaurant customers. About Mardi Gras itself, the closure will begin at 7 p.m., Ferguson said.
The restaurant capacity will be limited as it was throughout the pandemic. And pubs, including those with temporary food permits to operate as restaurants, will be closed not only in the French Quarter but also throughout the city – until Ash Wednesday.
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Other popular entertainment areas, including Decatur Street in the French Quarter and Frenchmen Street in the nearby Marigny neighborhood, would be closed during rush hour.
A popular corridor outside the French Quarter, which is a gathering place for locals, is being dismantled with boundaries.
Ferguson said police in the city will be on the lookout for offenders closing the bar.
“If you think you’re going to be such a bad actor and get away with it, I’d ask you to think differently,” Ferguson said.