NEW ORLEANS — More than 1,000 patients were hospitalized across Louisiana with severe cases of the coronavirus on Monday, the first time the state had reached that milestone in about three months.
The Louisiana Department of Health reported that 1,012 patients were hospitalized across the state, an increase of 45 since Sunday’s update. The last day that Louisiana reported more than 1,000 patients hospitalized was on Aug. 22 as hospitalizations began to decline from a second surge of the virus during the summer.
COVID-19 deaths have also steadily increased in Louisiana since earlier this month. As of Monday, about 20 people are dying each day due to the virus.
Despite rising COVID-19 cases around the country and health officials urging Americans to stay home for Thanksgiving this year, Sunday set a record for most air travelers at U.S. airports since the pandemic began.
On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Americans should skip Thanksgiving travel and not spend the holiday with people from outside their household. The nation’s top infectious diseases expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said Sunday he’s worried that instances of crowding at U.S. airports from Thanksgiving travel could lead to a perilous situation as COVID-19 cases surge.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some — especially older adults and people with existing health problems — it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
