Following a tedious few months,
Louisiana's public spaces expect to be back in business this weekend. In a
press release, Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser said, "18 state parks, all
18 historic sites, and all nine state museum buildings" will reopen this Friday
and Saturday. The partial reopening will happen according to the state's Phase 1
guidelines.
Unfortunately
for tourists (if there still are any), welcome centers are remaining closed. Any welcome
center bathroom with "exterior doors" will be accessible around the clock. That
rule excludes the French Quarter center, whose bathrooms have interior doors.
The
lieutenant governor said, "The tourism and travel industry is faced with the
task of recovering to the record-breaking success we saw prior to the crisis. Be
safe, but also get out and enjoy all the wonderful things."
For
New Orleanians, three state parks and one historic site hovering near the
city's backyard are opening. The former includes St. Bernard, Fairview-Riverside, and
Fontainebleau, located on Lake Pontchartrain's north shore. The historic site
Fort Pike stands a few minutes east off I-10. Bayou Segnette Park, which
Louisiana used to quarantine coronavirus patients, will remain closed pending
cleaning.
All
of the above will be open on Friday. The parks will take reservations for their
"campsites, cabins, large-capacity lodges, meeting rooms, and group camps"
starting on that date as well.
The
facilities will follow the governor's Phase 1 capping of the number of visitors
at 25 percent of maximum capacity. Employees are looking to the Centers for
Disease Control (CDC) and the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) for
recommendations. They'll be wearing masks and washing their hands frequently.
State
museums are coming back on Saturday. New Orleans houses five of these
nine museums statewide, including the Cabildo, the Presbytère, the New Orleans
Jazz Museum at the Old U.S. Mint, the 1850 House, and Madame John's Legacy.
The
governor's Phase 1 guidelines and the CDC's public health guidelines for these
locations also apply. The museums have equipment for additional hand
sanitization stations. They have prepared "additional measures" for cleaning
their buildings. Visiting hours will be from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with the
last tickets being sold at 3:00 p.m.
The
lieutenant governor urges people to go outside and enjoy themselves. The state
government additionally says it will introduce the Louisiana Lagniappe Program,
an initiative aimed at luring conventions and conferences to Louisiana. The
government walks a thin line between fostering economic recovery and keeping
people safe.
