St. Landry and Acadia parish bars were cleared to reopen after the Louisiana Department of Health reported COVID-19 positivity rates of less than 5% for the last two weeks.
Gov. John Bell Edwards rules for Phase 3 reopening require parishes to report two consecutive weeks of positivity rates of less than 5% for bars to reopen. If rates rise above 10%, bars will be closed again.
St. Landry Parish President Jessie Bellard opted to allow the parish bars as did Acadia Parish Police Jury President Chance Henry.
St. Landry Parish has a 3.30 positivity rate for the week of August 27 and a 3.80 positivity rate for the week of September 3.
Bars are still required to operate at 25% of capacity or up to 50 patrons, table service only, and with a ban on those under 21 from entering.
Edwards also altered his order to allow the on premises sale and consumption of alcohol until 11 p.m. at restaurants, casinos and bars in parishes that are eligible to opt in to reopen bars. However, all bars must still close by 11 p.m.
The bars are allowed to open at 5 p.m.
Live music is prohibited and no person under the age of 21 is allowed on the premises.
The governor’s order previously ended the sale or service of alcohol for on-site consumption at 10 p.m.
Other parishes opting into opening bars are Jefferson Davis and Plaquemines.
“I had a productive discussion this week with several restauranteurs and the Louisiana Restaurant Association and agreed that allowing the sale and service of alcohol until 11 p.m. for on premises consumption was a meaningful change we could make to the Phase 3 order to benefit restaurants that may have later service. To be consistent, my updated order will allow casinos and bars in parishes where they are allowed to be open to also serve alcohol for on-site consumption until 11 p.m. However, opened bars will still be required to close at 11 p.m.,” Edwards said. “Limiting hours for alcohol consumption is designed to reduce the amount of higher risk behavior in the community. This change has been implemented in several states, including Colorado, and has also been recommended by the White House Coronavirus Task Force.”