BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana’s bars, spas and tattoo shops can begin restarting operations nearly three months after they were closed because of the coronavirus.

The state continued to loosen its virus-related restrictions Friday.

Gov. John Bel Edwards issued the revised regulations for businesses based on the Phase 2 reopening guidance issued by the White House.

The changes allow retailers, restaurants, salons and churches to serve more customers at a time and let other shuttered businesses reopen with limitations.

However, they won’t take effect in New Orleans. Officials in the state’s original virus hot spot want more time to evaluate when to ease restrictions there.

Across the rest of the state, churches, restaurants, coffee shops, gyms, hair and nail salons, museums, casinos and other businesses that had been allowed in mid-May to open at 25% capacity can now move to 50% occupancy.

Bars that don’t have a food permit, massage facilities, bowling alleys, recreational pools and tattoo shops will be able to reopen with specific conditions.