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No Tailgating On Public Property: New Orleans Rolls Out Restrictions For Saints Games

Fans won't be allowed inside the Superdome for either the season opener, or the following home game on Sept. 27.
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Fans won't be allowed inside the Superdome for either the Saints season opener or the following home game on Sept. 27.

The City of New Orleans will not allow tailgating on public property during the season-opening Saints game this Sunday.

The restrictions apply to neutral grounds and areas underneath overpasses, city officials said at a press conference Friday morning.

Fans also won’t be allowed inside the Superdome during the Saints’ home game against the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 27, just as they won’t be present for this weekend’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“We cannot let our guards down,” Mayor LaToya Cantrell said of the timing of the restrictions. “This is not the time. This is the time to continue to be vigilant, do what is necessary, practice civic responsibility, and to move us through the impacts of this pandemic.”

New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) Superintendent Shaun Ferguson reminded residents to mind existing public safety guidelines meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus, such the limits on private gatherings, restaurant occupancy limitations, as well as social distancing expectations and masking guidelines.

Private gatherings are currently limited to 25 people for indoor spaces and 50 people for outdoor spaces. Restaurants remain limited to 50 percent capacity.

Ferguson also said law enforcement officers would remain on the lookout for pop-up second lines. He said officers will identify informal band leaders and “ask you to comply with Phase 2 guidelines.”

“In the health climate we’re in, these second lines are very dangerous. Not just for the people at risk of contracting COVID-19, but for the unsuspecting people you may be taking it home to.”

Cantrell announced Thursday that the city would remain in Phase 2 of its reopening plan, shortly after Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said the state would transition into Phase 3. Details on Phase 3 restrictions will be announced at a press conference at 2 p.m. Friday.

As Coastal Reporter, Travis Lux covers flood protection, coastal restoration, infrastructure, the energy and seafood industries, and the environment. In this role he's reported on everything from pipeline protests in the Atchafalaya swamp, to how shrimpers cope with low prices. He had a big hand in producing the series, New Orleans: Ready Or Not?, which examined how prepared New Orleans is for a future with more extreme weather. In 2017, Travis co-produced two episodes of TriPod: New Orleans at 300 examining New Orleans' historic efforts at flood protection. One episode, NOLA vs Nature: The Other Biggest Flood in New Orleans History, was recognized with awards from the Public Radio News Directors and the New Orleans Press Club. His stories often find a wider audience on national programs, too, like NPR's Morning Edition, WBUR's Here and Now, and WHYY's The Pulse.

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