Louisiana to enter Phase I of coronavirus reopening, casinos to open at 25% capacity Sam Karlin. Baton Rouge Advocate · May 12, 2020 at 7:08 am Louisiana will begin the first phase of reopening its economy Friday, nearly two months after Gov. John Bel Edwards issued a stay-at-home order aimed at slowing the spread of the virus in one of the nation’s hardest-hit states. The governor announced Monday he would allow a list of businesses including gyms, barbershops, hair salons, casinos, bars with food permits and other businesses, to reopen with 25% capacity, a condition officials said is vital to encourage social distancing and prevent a large rebound in cases. A host of other businesses, as well as churches, that have allowed to operate under the 10-person occupancy limit can loosen that to a quarter of their normal capacity. Edwards and Dr. Alex Billioux, assistant secretary for the state’s Office of Public Health, pointed to data that suggested the state is doing better on key metrics laid out by the White House to determine if a state is ready to reopen.
