Government Issued Orders and Guidance

On January 12, Governor Edwards announced Louisiana will remain in a modified Phase 2 until February 10, 2021. View the current order here.

Louisiana’s statewide mask mandate remains in place. Louisiana’s COVID-19 restrictions include the below:

• All Louisianans are encouraged to avoid gatherings of individuals not part of their households.
• All businesses, private and public sectors, are encouraged to use remote work where they can.
• All restaurants are limited to 50% of their indoor capacity. Restaurants should move as much dining outdoors as they can. Social distancing is required.
• For bars in parishes above 5% positivity, bars are closed to indoor sales and consumption but open for outdoor consumption at tables only and at 25% capacity, with a maximum of 50 people. Social distancing is required. Take-out and delivery will still be available.
• Retail businesses may open at 50% capacity, except for essential businesses, as defined by federal guidance from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
• Gyms may be open at 50% of their capacity.
• Places of worship will remain at a maximum of 75% of their capacity or the number of people who can physically distance with at least six feet between each immediate household, whichever is less.
• Barber and beauty shops, and nail salons may open at 50% of their capacity.
• Movie theaters may open at 50% of their capacity.
• Indoor gatherings at event/receptions centers are limited to 25% capacity or up to 75 individuals.
• Outdoor gatherings at event/reception centers are limited to 25% capacity or up to 150 individuals when strict physical distancing is not possible.
• All sporting events will be capped at 25% capacity.

Businesses can register at Open Safely to receive updated communication, notifications, and helpful guidance via email from the State Fire Marshal’s Office specific to your business type.

Download documents related to Phase 1/2/3 opening for specific business types

On December 22, Governor Edwards announced Louisiana will remain in a modified Phase 2 until January 13, 2021. View the current order here.

Louisiana’s statewide mask mandate remains in place. Louisiana’s COVID-19 restrictions include the below:

• All Louisianans are encouraged to avoid gatherings of individuals not part of their households.
• All businesses, private and public sectors, are encouraged to use remote work where they can.
• All restaurants are limited to 50% of their indoor capacity. Restaurants should move as much dining outdoors as they can. Social distancing is required.
• For bars in parishes above 5% positivity, bars are closed to indoor sales and consumption but open for outdoor consumption at tables only and at 25% capacity, with a maximum of 50 people. Social distancing is required. Take-out and delivery will still be available.
• Retail businesses may open at 50% capacity, except for essential businesses, as defined by federal guidance from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
• Gyms may be open at 50% of their capacity.
• Places of worship will remain at a maximum of 75% of their capacity or the number of people who can physically distance with at least six feet between each immediate household, whichever is less.
• Barber and beauty shops, and nail salons may open at 50% of their capacity.
• Movie theaters may open at 50% of their capacity.
• Indoor gatherings at event/receptions centers are limited to 25% capacity or up to 75 individuals.
• Outdoor gatherings at event/reception centers are limited to 25% capacity or up to 150 individuals when strict physical distancing is not possible.
• All sporting events will be capped at 25% capacity.

Businesses can register at Open Safely to receive updated communication, notifications, and helpful guidance via email from the State Fire Marshal’s Office specific to your business type.

Download documents related to Phase 1/2/3 opening for specific business types

In accordance with Governor Edwards’s announcement of returning to a modified Phase 2, a parish which previously opted into but subsequently exceeded 5% positivity rate for two consecutive weeks would be required to cease all indoor on-premise consumption at bars.

According to the Louisiana Department of Health, Lafayette Parish exceeded 5% positivity rate for two consecutive weeks, therefore bars are now to cease all indoor, on-premise consumption.

Bars may continue to offer curbside and drive-thru services and may also offer outdoor tableside services only.

On November 24, Governor Edwards announced Louisiana will return to a modified Phase 2 until December 23. View the current order here.

Highlights from the order include:

• All Louisianans are encouraged to avoid gatherings of individuals not part of their households.
• All businesses, private and public sectors, are encouraged to use remote work where they can.
• All restaurants are limited to 50% of their indoor capacity. Restaurants should move as much dining outdoors as they can. Social distancing is required.
• For bars in parishes above 5% positivity, bars are closed to indoor sales and consumption but open for outdoor consumption at tables only and at 25% capacity, with a maximum of 50 people. Social distancing is required. Take-out and delivery will still be available.
• Retail businesses at 50% capacity, except for essential businesses, as defined by federal guidance from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
• Gyms may be open at 50% of their capacity.
• Places of worship will remain at a maximum of 75% of their capacity or the number of people who can physically distance with at least six feet between each immediate household. The State Fire Marshal will put out additional COVID mitigation measures to make services safer.
• Barber and beauty shops, and nail salons may open at 50% of their capacity.
• Movie theaters may open at 50% of their capacity.
• Indoor gatherings at event/receptions centers are limited to 25% capacity or up to 75 individuals.
• Outdoor gatherings at event/reception centers are limited to 25% capacity or up to 150 individuals when strict physical distancing is not possible.
• All sporting events will be capped at 25% capacity.
• Mask mandate remains in place.
• CDC guidelines remain in effect.

On November 5, Governor Edwards announced Louisiana will remain in Phase 3 until December 4. View the current order here. View the extension of emergency provisions here. 

Highlights from the order include:

• Restaurants, churches, salons, gyms will open to 75% of their capacity
• Entities that were limited to 50% in Phase 2 are included in this increase to 75%
• Bars will remain closed for on-premise consumption in parishes with a high COVID case count
• Bars can apply for a restaurant license if they have a kitchen/serve food
• Parishes with a low COVID case count (5% or less positivity rate) can opt-in to open bars up to 25% of capacity
• Bars that will be allowed to open can have no more than 50 people outdoors
• All drinks must be ordered at the table and brought to the table by waitstaff
• Alcohol sales end and establishments will close at 11:00 p.m.
• Casinos will stay at 50% total capacity and 75% of the gaming positions
• Alcohol sales for on-premise consumption will end at 10:00 pm for casinos, restaurants, and all other venues
• Sports venues can operate at 25% with no alcohol sales. Alcohol sales may be allowed if the parish meets the percent positivity threshold.
• Information on nursing home visitations from the Louisiana Department of Health
• Indoor social gatherings, like weddings or receptions, will be limited to the lesser of 250 people or 50 percent capacity of the facility. Outdoors, crowd sizes are limited to 50% capacity, up to 250 people, if people will be in close proximity and social distancing is not possible.
• Mask mandate remains in place.
• CDC guidelines remain in effect.

On August 26, Governor Edwards announced Louisiana will remain in Phase 2 until September 11. View the current order here. View the August 7 order here. View the July 23 extended order here. The June 4 official order is here. An overview can be found in this news release.

Businesses that will be able to open at 50 percent occupancy include:

• Restaurants, cafes and coffee shops
• Shopping malls (including food courts, following restaurant guidance)
• Gyms and fitness centers
• Barber and beauty shops and nail salons
• Movie theaters
• Racetracks (not open to spectators)
• Museums (including children’s museums), zoos, aquariums (no tactile exhibits)
• Bars and breweries with LDH food permits
• Massage establishments, spas, and tattoo establishments (under strict guidance from LDH), esthetician services (under strict guidance from the Cosmetology Board)
• Pool halls, bowling alleys and skating rinks (children must be accompanied by an adult)
• Event Centers and wedding venues
• Outdoor playgrounds and play centers (children must be accompanied by an adult)

The following businesses remain closed: carnivals, amusement parks, water parks, fairs, contact sports, children’s indoor play centers, theme parks, concert and music halls, and other similar businesses. Live entertainment is not permitted inside any building or indoor function.

Effective July 13, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced a mandatory mask requirement for Louisiana and ordered bars in the state closed to on-premises consumption, as the state experiences increasing spread of COVID-19. The Governor also limited indoor social gatherings like wedding receptions, class reunions and parties to 50 total people. With these additional restrictions, Louisiana remains in Phase Two of the Roadmap for a Resilient Louisiana. View the proclamation here.

Download an easy-to-print sign to post at your business' entrance. Let's work together to keep our businesses open and our friends and family members employed.

On May 11, Governor Edwards announced Louisiana will move into Phase 1 reopening on May 15. The official order is here. An overview can be found in this news release.

New types of businesses that may open beginning on May 15, with 25 percent occupancy limits, sanitation guidelines and spacing for physical distancing include:

• Interior stores at enclosed malls
• Gyms and fitness centers
• Barber shops and hair and nail salons
• Casinos and Video Poker
• Theaters
• Racetracks (not open to spectators)
• Museums, zoos, aquariums (no tactile exhibits)
• Bars and breweries with LDH food permits

The following businesses remain closed: massage establishments and spas, tattoo parlors, carnivals, amusement parks, water parks, trampoline parks, arcades, fairs, bars and breweries without LDH food permits, pool halls, contact sports, children’s play centers, playgrounds, theme parks, adult entertainment venues, and other similar businesses. 

On April 30, Governor Edwards formally extended the Stay at Home Order through May 15. Get details here. View the full order here. Three major changes in the new Stay at Home Order include:

• Malls will remain closed to the public, but stores may open for curbside delivery.
• Restaurants will be allowed to open their outside areas for patrons to eat meals only, without tableside service.
• All employees of a business who have contact with the public must wear a mask.

Gov. John Bel Edwards issued a statewide Stay at Home order which went into effect Monday, March 23, at 5:00 p.m., to limit movements outside of the home beyond essential needs and essential work as outlined in the order.

• View the full order here to see a list of prohibited businesses.
• Examples of essential workers as defined by the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), can be found here and here.