LRA Statement on Mandating Vaccination Proof at New Orleans Restaurants

​“As a trade association, the Louisiana Restaurant Association historically has objected to broad mandates on its member businesses especially those that add costs to their operations. We were the first business group to support Governor Edward’s mask mandate during the term of his current emergency order. It is a simple step and we hope it will have impact. We have supported vaccinations for Covid and participated in promotions with the Governor’s office and Alcohol and Tobacco Control to encourage them statewide.
 
During our recent discussions with Mayor Cantrell she commented about following the protocols New York City was implementing. We advised her that in this example the Mayor of New York City gave notice of this change on August 2nd with an effective target date of August 16th and a further delay of any enforcement until September 13th. Mayor Cantrell has skipped these steps and placed another mandate on our industry that begins on August 16th.  There has been no data provided that validates the effectiveness of this mandate. Further our smaller restaurants, those with self- service, walk up or seated counters lack the staff during regular operations to manage this verification easily. The Mayor asks for the input from the hospitality industry and then declines to consider the information and feedback we share with her. Our industry has a long way to go to recover from the impact of Covid.
 
We would never object to any LRA member or private business choosing to establish policies for its business that are more restrictive than the current government orders. This is no different than a business’s right to set it days and hours of operations, wages, prices and menu offerings. That is a hallmark of the free enterprise system. If you believe requiring proof of vaccination or a recent negative test is in the best interest of your private business, that is your right. Once again, Mayor Cantrell has asked for feedback then proceeded to ignore it.”
 
Stan Harris
President/CEO
Louisiana Restaurant Association