Crowds have been warned to stay out of New Orleans in the days leading up to Mardi Gras to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Police Chief Shaun Ferguson held a press conference with state police and the New Orleans sheriff on Friday to drive home the danger of large rallies. -Lenten festivities.
All parades in the city have also been canceled.
Last year’s Mardi Gras celebration, which normally sees thousands of tourists in the city, is now believed to have contributed to an early wave of infections in Louisiana.
The city said Bourbon Street would be closed to cars and pedestrians every day from 7:00 PM to 3:00 AM, and that access is limited to residents, corporate employees, hotel guests and restaurant visitors. On Mardi Gras itself, closing starts at 7 a.m., Ferguson said.
The restaurant’s capacity will be limited, just like during the pandemic. And bars, including bars that have a temporary food permit allowing them to operate as restaurants, will be closed until Ash Wednesday – not just in the French Quarter but throughout the city.
Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics
Other popular entertainment areas, including Decatur Street in the French Quarter and Frenchmen Street in the nearby Marigny neighborhood, would be closed during what are normally peak times.
A popular corridor outside the French Quarter, a meeting place for the locals, was shielded with fencing.
Ferguson said police will be on the lookout for violators of the bar’s closure all over town.
“If you think you’re going to be that bad actor and get away with it, I would ask you to think differently,” Ferguson said.