Tracey’s Original Irish Channel Bar has been shut down by city officials for violating the city’s coronavirus guidelines, according to a letter posted to twitter by Mayor Latoya Cantrell.
The letter,written by city Interim Director of Safety and Permits Tammie Jackson,instructs the owners of Tracey’s to “immediately cease operating” until they submit a safety plan detailing how the restaurant will abide by the city’s guidelines, which include mask-wearing, social distancing and banning patrons from sitting at the restaurant’s bar.
A video of the bar and restaurant posted on Twitter during the Saints Monday night football game appeared to show some people at the restaurant flouting some of the city’s COVID-19 safety rules — and the post was criticized by dozens of commenters.
On Wednesday afternoon, Cantrell took to Twitter to post the letter, which requires the venue to have its safety plan approved by the city’s Department of Safety and Public before it can officially reopen to the public.
The owners of Tracey’s did not respond to an email seeking comment.
Meanwhile, in neighboring Jefferson Parish, bars are now officially open for business, following an unanimous vote by the parish council Wednesday to allow on-site consumption of alcohol.
The resolution allows bars to reopen once the parish met the Phase 3 requirements, which state a parish must have a coronavirus test positivity rate of less than 5 percent for two straight weeks. Jefferson met that goal today, according to a parish press release. The bars will still have to follow the Phase 3 rules, which include limits on capacity and hours of operation.
The bars in New Orleans are still closed as the city remains in Phase 2.
