NEW ORLEANS — There is a lot going on at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, as officials put their finishing touches on two field hospitals
The convention center has been transformed into a field hospital, and beginning Monday, COVID-19 patients who are well enough to leave hospitals but not well enough to go home will be treated there.
"You gotta see it to believe it," Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser said. "To be able to do this in such a professional way in a way that will isolate patients and keep them safe as they are brought here...it's pretty incredible."
Outside of the convention center, a second facility — not yet ready— is intended to treat up to 250 patients. That facility will treat people who likely have COVID-19 but haven't got test results back yet.
It's important that those two types of patients are kept apart.
"If someone with a negative test would come in here — it's all patients with positive tests, so we would worry that they would be infectious if they weren't actually positive," Medical Operations Manager Dr. Meghan Maslanka said.
The two facilities' goal is to ease pressure on local hospitals. There has been a surge of COVID-19 cases in New Orleans, and it's different from other cities.
"We are particularly vulnerable in Louisiana because we have so many underlying conditions," Dr. Joseph Kanter, assistant state health officer, said. "a lot of diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and it's difficult to look at an example like Seattle and say that is exactly what we are going to see here."
While the two facilities at the convention center are nearly complete, they need for more personal protective equipment — masks and gowns— are on the way but not here yet.
"We are in the same boat as a lot of other states where we are purchasing orders with vendors but and waiting for the supply to come in," Kanter said.
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