Latest Numbers:
- 1,802 deaths (+44)
- 27,286 total cases (+374)
- 1,629 patients in hospitals (-37)
- 244 patients on ventilators
- 64 of 64 parishes reporting cases
- 17,303 presumed recoveries
- 156,568 tests performed (+5,460)
Key Updates:
- Governor John Bel Edwards traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet one-on-one with President Donald Trump about the COVID-19 outbreak in Louisiana.
- Severe weather in parts of Southeast Louisiana has closed some coronavirus testing sites for the day.
- Louisiana's economy is set to begin reopening on May 15.
- The U.S. has surpassed 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases.
Air Force B-52 bombers, F-15s to flyover New Orleans, salute essential workers
The U.S. Air Force is saying thank you to front line workers fighting the coronavirus outbreak in Louisiana with a special flyover this week.
On Friday morning, two massive B-52 "Stratofortresses" and will take flight from the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, soar over medical centers around the city and then make their way to Baton Rouge to do the same.
They will be accompanied by F-15 Strike Eagles from the 159th Fighter Wing out of New Orleans.
It's part of the "Air Force Salutes" program to say thank you to healthcare professionals, essential workers and volunteers in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The squadron will start from the airbase in Belle Chasse at 9:30 a.m. Friday.
Severe weather closes testing sites Wednesday
Strong thunderstorms moving through the area have closed COVID-19 testing sites Wednesday.
Testing will not happen at the Marrero site on the West Bank and will pick up Thursday with additional tests.
Testing sites in St. Charles and St. James parishes will also be closed Wednesday due to the weather.
Thousands of Entergy costumers in Jefferson, Plaquemines and Terrebonne parishes were without power early Wednesday morning, according to the outage map.
Gov. Edwards meeting one-on-one with President Trump
Louisiana's Governor will meet with President Donald Trump Wednesday, April 29, the discuss the ongoing response to COVID-19 in the state.
Gov. John Bel Edwards will travel to Washington D.C. Wednesday morning to meet with the President around 11 a.m., according to the official White House schedule.
Edwards is one of a handful of governors that will meet the President one-on-one to discuss the pandemic.
First responders back on the job after COVID-19 recovery
A New Orleans EMS paramedic who was likely exposed while on the job is back at work after recovery from COVID-19 and says she is again ready to help.
Arkady Hennessey started feeling sick around April 1st. She didn’t think it was COVID-19 but got tested anyways. With 8 years on the job, the 33-year-old New Orleans native doesn’t get surprised very often. The results, however, were certainly shocking.
“I honestly never expected to get it,” Hennessey said. “None of us ever expect to get sick but as far as I was told I had only had two exposures at the time I got diagnosed positive with it so you never know.”
17 EMS workers, roughly 10 percent of the staff, tested positive for COVID-19. Hennesey knows she was likely exposed on the job.
New Orleans restaurant owners frustrated neighboring parishes open outdoor seating
At The Harbor Bar & Grill in Metairie, third-generation owner Jason Saucier is ready to serve up outside tables to customers starting Friday.
“We’re going to half of our seating,” said Saucier.
It’s thanks to Governor John Bel Edwards, who announced Monday part of his extended two-week stay at home order will allow restaurants with outside seating to open those spaces to customers, but no table service. Since his restaurant is operating as to-go only, Saucier says that’s not a problem.
It’s a different story just three miles away, where the patio at El Gato Negro in New Orleans’ Lakeview neighborhood, will stay empty. Tuesday morning, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell announced in a tweet, changes from the governor won’t apply in New Orleans.
“There was a little bit of hope for us and now it gets shut down,” said Johnny Contreras whose family owns three El Gato Negro locations in New Orleans.
Could Mardi Gras 2021 be cancelled because of COVID-19? Mayor says we need to think about it
It’s hard to imagine New Orleans without Mardi Gras, but it could happen next year.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell told the Washington Post Tuesday that it gives her “great pause” to think of moving forward with Mardi Gras in 2021 in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s something that we have to think about,” Cantrell said. “It’s something that we have to put on the table. It all depends again on when we reopen the city, the steps that we take to reopen, meaning I want slow and steady and if we move on this path of being healthier without any regression than it puts us closer to being prepared to host Mardi Gras come 2021.”
Cantrell noted that the data has to dictate that it will be safe to host Mardi Gras before the City will commit to doing it.
Doctor says antibody tests may not be the answer yet
You’ve heard a lot of talk about antibodies, which are what your immune system makes when you get sick, to protect you from getting that infection again.
Doctor says antibody tests may not be the answer yet
"Over 250 companies worldwide are distributing these kits now and it’s really the wild wild west out there," said Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Brobson Lutz.
We brought in Channel 4 Investigative Reporter David Hammer. He knows he had COVID-19 a month ago. On each company test he had a very light positive line for antibodies. Dr. Lutz says that is a problem. Most viral antibody tests give you a measurement of antibody levels, not just a blanket yes or no.
"I don’t think this first generation of tests has been vetted enough and I don’t really trust them. I don’t think they’re sensitive enough to pick up some people who have been infected," he said.
Former mayor Ray Nagin released from prison, capping infamous New Orleans corruption scandal
Ray Nagin’s abrupt release from prison Monday amid the coronavirus pandemic brought down the final curtain on the biggest City Hall corruption scandal in New Orleans’ colorful history to wind up in a courtroom.
The former mayor was the last to get out of prison of a half-dozen convicts implicated in the case.
Nagin, who served two tumultuous terms in office that ended in 2010, was found guilty by a jury in 2014 on 20 counts of wire fraud, bribery and tax evasion after a trial that captivated the city. He was the first New Orleans mayor ever convicted of corruption. He reported to prison that fall to begin serving a 10-year term, but went home to his family in Frisco, Texas, on Monday after completing a little over half of his sentence at a prison camp in Texarkana, Texas.
Nagin’s early release at age 63 came at the discretion of the Bureau of Prisons, an arm of the Department of Justice, which has been under orders from U.S. Attorney General William Barr to release vulnerable inmates into home confinement when possible.
New Orleans native Col. Suzanna Jamison is on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic
A New Orleans native is now on the front line in the epicenter of the Coronavirus pandemic, treating COVID patients in New York City.
She is part of team from the 804th Army Medical Brigade now embedded with the staff at Queens Hospital, a hotspot for Coronavirus patients.
“It just brings tears to my eyes,” Col. Suzanna Jamison said. “These are people’s wives and husbands and children and loved ones and there are some people that can’t afford to bury their family members even. It’s just really devastating.”
Jamison is a doctor, specializing in both internal medicine and psychiatry in Roanoke, Virginia. She also spent the last 35 years in the Army Reserve, treating patients in combat zones in places like Iraq and Kosovo.
Tools
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. These symptoms may appear 2 to 14 days after exposure.
Worldwide illnesses have ranged from mild to severe, including severe pneumonia that can result in hospitalization or death.
Older people and people with underlying health conditions including heart disease, lung disease or cancer seem to be at greater risk of serious illness.
People with recent travel to China, or have come in contact with someone who has recent travel and is ill, have a greater risk for becoming ill.
What to do if you are sick:
If you recently traveled to an area affected by COVID-19 transmission, and you feel sick, stay home and call your doctor immediately. Do not go to the doctor without calling first.
If you have a fever, cough, or shortness of breath, call your primary care provider. If you do not have a primary care provider, call the Louisiana Department of Health hotline at 1-855-523-2652.
If you are severely ill and you think you need to go to the hospital, call 9-1-1 or go to an emergency room.
How to Prevent the Spread:
The virus is thought to spread between people in close contact (within 6 feet) and through droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
To prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses:
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Wash hands with soap and water often or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Especially wash hands after going to the bathroom, before eating and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
- Stay home if you feel sick to prevent the spread of germs.
- Cover your cough with your elbow to prevent the spread of germs.
Treatments for COVID-19:
There are no medications specifically approved for COVID-19. People with coronavirus should be treated with supportive care to help relieve symptoms.
Some severe cases require going to the hospital, particularly in the elderly or those with underlying medical conditions.
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