WATCH: Jefferson Parish council members take up resolution to open bars
NEW ORLEANS, La. (WVUE) - Bars in Jefferson Parish could move a step closer to re-opening. Jefferson Parish council members plan to take up a resolution Monday that could make it happen as soon as the parish meets the phase 3 criteria.
“We expect that our numbers will continue to be good, so the moment that we have a second consecutive week where we have 5 percent or below positivity rate, this revolution simply says Jefferson parish wants to opt-in at that moment. So we’re trying to be proactive so that the minute we hit that threshold, our bars will know they can get back in business,” said Jennifer Van Vrancken with Jefferson Parish Council.
As many other parishes have already done throughout Louisiana, Jefferson Parish is looking to take advantage of their recent slide in Covid-19 cases by allowing their bars to open for the first time since the shutdown, under phase 3 guidelines.
“They would have to have only 25 percent capacity, or 50 people, no more than 50 people. They also have to have table service. So again, a lot of restrictions will still remain in place, but at least they’ll have a fighting chance.” Van Vrancken said.
“We can do it as well as the grocery stores or the department stores or anything else that is open right now so yes we are ready to open,” said Lisa Colby Colby’s Cocktails Owner.
Councilmember Jennifer Van Vrancken says she drafted the resolution the moment it began to look like Jefferson Parish could meet that 2 week criteria of under 5 percent percent positivity, and she says she doesn’t worry as much about a potential spread if their bars are allowed to open.
“They tend to be small spaces, they tend to be little neighborhood gathering places. It’s not the same kind of massive scenario that you have in New Orleans where you have the big tourist attraction bars, that’s not what we have in Jefferson,” Van Vrancken said.
And if the new numbers meet the threshold do come in over coming days, Van Vrancken says she feels confident the council will be unified, and asks all the bar owners in Jefferson to be ready to open safely.
“Because we each have, no matter what districts we represent, we each have those little neighborhood places in mind. We know how they’ve been struggling, we know they’ve sacrificed a lot, and so I think you’ll see unity as we have throughout a number of issues related to covid,” Van Vrancken said.
Van Vrancken says if there is push back from the state, they will plan to bring the issue back up at the next parish council meeting on September 30.
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