×

In New Orleans, temporary restaurant closures, mounting cancellations as city implements COVID-19 vaccine mandate

Last week’s announcement that New Orleans would require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test starting Aug. 16 sent some restaurant workers, business owners, tourists and residents into a panic.

A consequence of the dangerous spread of the delta variant across the state, New Orleans became only the third city in the United States to institute the requirements. It was also the country’s first mandate to go into effect, a few days ahead of New York and San Francisco. As of Aug. 12, the day of the New Orleans announcement, Mayor Sharon Weston Broome told WBRZ there were no plans for a similar mandate in Baton Rouge, while LSU announced it would mandate vaccines for all students following final FDA approval.

Several New Orleans restaurants temporarily shut down this week to prepare for the big change, Eater reports. Blue Oak BBQ owners Ronnie Evans and Philip Moseley said “they understand the urgency of the situation, but that two or three days notice to become the ‘COVID vaccination police’ is a lot to expect.” Moseley added, ”It’s a lot of pressure on the staff, and at the end of the day what we care about most is the safety of our staff. Now they need to be a bouncer or security guard when none of us have this training.”

Cafe Reconcile and Church Alley coffee shop also put operations on pause, and sandwich hotspot Turkey and the Wolf announced a switch to outdoor-dining only (no documentation is required for outdoor dining or takeout). Other restaurants reported a wave of reservation cancellations following the announcement.

The new rules come as the city reels from the cancellations of New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and French Quarter Festival—and as the alarming rise in COVID-19 cases pushes hospitals to their limits. Read the full story from Eater.