Mayor Cantrell: New Orleans Moving Back To Modified Phase 1

New Orleans will soon move back into a modified Phase 1 following a record number of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations across Louisiana. The new restrictions go into effect 6 a.m. Friday (January 8).

"Last week, our positivity rate was 5.5%, we've gotten our numbers for this week and we're up to 10.4%," said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. "You can't make it up. It's real."

The city announced the restrictions in a press conference on Wednesday, the same day the state recorded its highest daily increase in COVID-19 cases. The new guidelines include reducing indoor capacity limits for restaurants, retail, and other stores back to 25% as well as restricting gatherings to a single household. Indoor capacity for bars continues to be 0%, but outdoor capacity will remain operating at 100%.

Capacity for both indoor and outdoor sporting events has also been reduced to 4%.

Louisiana surpassed the previous record for hospitalizations set on April 12, 2020, after 1,993 patients were hospitalized as of Tuesday. An additional 6,882 new coronavirus cases were also reported on Wednesday.

As vaccines continue to be distributed throughout the state, local pharmacies are offering the first doses to the public for certain residents, such as those 70 years or older.

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