City of New Orleans Mandates Proof of Vaccination Effective August 16

Thursday, August 12, the City of New Orleans announced that effective Aug. 16, proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test will be required to participate in activities with a higher risk of COVID transmission, including indoor dining and bars, indoor gyms and fitness, indoor entertainment, and large outdoor events. This is in addition to the indoor mask mandate and in an effort to curb the unprecedented level of hospitalizations statewide and the growing number of deaths due to the more contagious and more deadly Delta variant.

Anyone 12 years of age and older, including employees, must provide proof of at least one dose of an approved COVID vaccine or negative PCR test within 72 hours to access:

INDOOR DINING

• Restaurants
• Bars
• Breweries, microbreweries, distilleries & micro-distilleries

INDOOR FITNESS

• Gyms
• Indoor group fitness centers or individual fitness classes

INDOOR ENTERTAINMENT & PERFORMANCE SPACES

• Indoor sports complexes, stadiums & arenas
• Concert & music halls
• Event spaces such as hotel ballrooms, event venues & reception halls
• Pool halls, bowling alleys, indoor play centers, arcades, skating rinks, indoor playgrounds & arcades
• Adult live performance venues
• Casinos, racetracks & video poker establishments
• Indoor amusement facilities

LARGE OUTDOOR EVENTS

• Outdoor events of more than 500 people if total attendance is more than 50% of the outdoor venue's capacity.

​To prove vaccination status, individuals can use the LA Wallet app; an original, digital photograph, or photocopy of CDC vaccination cards (both sides); or an official vaccine record issued by another state, foreign nation, or the World Health Organization.

See the full guidelines at ready.nola.gov/restrictions. Window signs for businesses as well as a detailed handout on how to check for vaccination status and negative tests are also available on the website.