Several bar owners in Louisiana have filed a lawsuit against
Governor John Bel Edwards after the release of his order to restrict bars
across the state. In their testimonies, the bar owners established that they
had been following safety measures and COVID-19 guidelines throughout Phase Two,
before the governor's order made them close their businesses. According to KATC
News in Lafayette, the legal representative of the bar owners said that Edwards's
law was "legally defective" because it did not make a clear distinction between
businesses operating as bars and businesses operating as restaurants with bars
inside of them. The governor of Louisiana issued this order under the premise
that bars offer a social environment where individuals are less likely to
comply with COVID-19 guidelines set out by the state. Edwards argued that
people in bars tend to mix, as opposed to remaining seated with their parties,
as well as being less likely to wear a face covering when appropriate. He also
commented that loud music forces customers to come closer to talk, furthering
the spread of the virus.
According to The Advocate, Edwards has recently won a separate legal challenge
concerning the closure of bars in the New Orleans and Houma areas. The governor
explained that his orders are aligned not only with his "authority" but also with
the White House coronavirus task force. Jimmy Faircloth, the legal
representative of the bar owners of Acadiana, established that "the state
restrictions were initially meant to protect hospital capacity but now seem to
be a long-term health policy seeking to fully eradicate a disease."
A federal judge has upheld the ruling of mandated bar closures for Louisiana, and they remain shuttered.
Several in-state and national public health experts have pinpointed bars as hot spots for the incubation of the virus. The Louisiana
Department of Health says that it has traced 464 confirmed new cases to 41
bars. Louisiana has had around 139,000 cases with growing reports from
individuals aged 18 to 29.
