Latest Numbers:
- 582 deaths (+70)
- 16,284 total cases (+1,417)
- 1,996 patients hospitalized (+187)
- 519 in need of ventilators (-44)
- 63 of 64 parishes reporting cases (+1)
- 74,655 tests completed (+5,589)
Key Updates:
- It's been 29 days since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 appeared in New Orleans. More than 580 people have died from the virus in that roughly 1-month period and nearly 2,000 are hospitalized from the disease.
- Hospitalization rates and deaths both shot up again Tuesday after several days of rates trending down. Gov. John Bel Edwards had said Louisiana could be witnessing the start of coronavirus cases plateauing thanks to successful social distancing, a possibility now thrown into question once again.
- It's been more than two weeks since Louisiana's statewide Stay-at-Home order was put into place. As of today, it remains in place until April 30.
Louisiana registers most daily deaths, but ventilator numbers drop
Trends that health officials had hoped could mean the start of the coronavirus plateauing in Louisiana were bucked Tuesday when the Louisiana Department of Health reported 70 deaths (the single-day record) and nearly 200 new hospitalizations.
Only six new hospitalizations across the state had been reported yesterday.
However, the number of COVID-19 patients in need of ventilators dropped by 44, the first decrease in that crucial tally reported. Ventilator usage numbers had been rising by anywhere from two to more than 50 every day for the past two weeks.
1,417 new confirmed cases were reported out of 5,589 new completed tests counted by the LDH. Tensas Parish in northeast Louisiana is now the last of 64 parishes in the state without a confirmed coronavirus case.
Cases by parish (SE Louisiana):
- Orleans: 4,942 cases, 185 deaths
- Jefferson: 3,922 cases, 137 deaths
- St. John: 415 cases, 34 deaths
- East Baton Rouge: 892 cases, 31 deaths
- St. Tammany: 700 cases, 19 death
- St. Charles: 310 cases, 19 deaths
- Lafourche: 158 cases, 4 deaths
- St. James: 176 cases, 6 death
- St. Bernard 289 cases, 10 deaths
- Plaquemines: 115 cases, 7 deaths
- Washington: 100 cases, 2 death
- Terrebonne: 194 cases, 11 deaths
- Tangipahoa: 238 cases, 3 deaths
New Orleans and Jefferson Parish now account for 54% of the 16,284 total cases and 55% of total deaths in Louisiana.
60% of the 582 reported COVID-19 deaths in the state involved a victim 70 years of age or older.
People in their 50s remain the most infected age demographic, accounting for 3,401 (or 21%) of total confirmed cases.
Four people in the 18-29 age ranged have reported died of COVID-19 in the state.
The LDH has not yet provided exit or recovery numbers for the COVID-19 pandemic, but the official John Hopkins University coronavirus tracker reports 20,000 people have recovered from the virus in the U.S.
St. Charles Parish begins public coronavirus testing
From the St. Charles Parish government:
The Mobile Testing Site will be located at the St. Charles Community Health Center’s West Bank officed located at 843 Milling Ave. Testing will only be available to St. Charles Parish residents who call 877-580-2066 to make an appointment.
“Outside of the federal test sites set up in Orleans and Jefferson parish, testing for COVID-19 has been limited statewide,” said President Matthew Jewell. “While testing is still not as abundant as we would like it, we are continuing to work to get additional testing resources for St. Charles Parish residents and thank Access Health Louisiana for their assistance in setting up this Mobile Testing Site to accommodate our needs.”
Those experiencing a cough, shortness of breath and a fever of 100.4 or greater should call Access Health Louisiana to set an appointment to be tested. Upon arrival, individuals go through a verification process which includes a temperature reading and will then be tested for COVID-19. Due to the increased volume of testing, results will be administered over the phone with in 7 -14 days of testing. During the waiting period, Access Health Louisiana physicians will provide ongoing, daily support to patients.
No walk up testing will be available.
Racial disparities in Louisiana's COVID-19 death rate reflect systemic problems
Black people in Louisiana make up 70% of the deaths in all known coronavirus patients in the state, while only representing about 32% of the population.
That's according to Governor John Bel Edwards and the Louisiana Department of Health, who released new statistics on the racial break down of the coronavirus pandemic on Monday.
According to Dr. Joia Crear-Perry, the founder and president of the National Birth Equity Collaborative, the numbers are a reflection of the lack of access African Americans have to the healthcare system in Louisiana.
"We only represented about 32% of the state, and so for us to be 70% of the deaths means that we are highly over-represented when it comes to dying from COVID-19," Crear-Perry said. "That’s just a reflection of a lack of access to insurance over the years, a lack of access to having medical care, and also the gaps that we see in our social safety net in Louisiana."
Rural hospitals step up as coronavirus spreads across Louisiana
As hospital systems work tirelessly to care for folks battling complications from the coronavirus, it’s the smaller, rural hospitals playing a much bigger role than they were designed to do.
With only 25 beds and a total staff of about 200 people, St. James Parish Hospital, like many small hospitals across the state, is operating a bit differently than normal.
“It’s intense because we know what we’re dealing with is very serious,” said hospital CEO Mary Ellen Pratt.
Pratt says smaller hospitals like hers are typically outpatient focused, but because elective surgeries and procedures aren’t happening right now, equipment and staff are being shifted to focus on inpatient care, especially when it comes to COVID-19 cases.
Experts say this week will be tough, but stay the course to stop coronavirus
The number of people taking advantage of drive-up Coronavirus testing in New Orleans has slowed considerably.
Despite shorter lines on Monday, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams predicts what’s to come may be worse than what we’ve seen so far.
Speaking on Fox News, he hinted at a possible peak in new COVID-19 cases and deaths over the next seven days.
“This is going to be the hardest and the saddest week of most Americans’ lives, quite frankly,” Adams said. “This is going to be our Pearl Harbor moment, our 9/11 moment, only it’s not going to be localized. It’s going to be happening all over the country. And I want America to understand that.”
State and local health officials have been stressing for weeks the need for aggressive social distancing measures to lessen the surge.
More than 70% of La. residents killed by COVID-19 are African American, governor says
That statistic comes from Gov. John Bel Edwards, who announced Monday that Louisiana will soon release more in-depth information on COVID-19 cases in the state.
“Slightly more than 70% of deaths in Louisiana are African Americans,” Edwards said. “That deserves more attention and we’re going to have to dig into that and see what we can do to slow that down.”
Edwards also said that hypertension is the leading underlying condition among patients killed by COVID-19.
13 more inmates at Orleans Justice Center test positive since Friday
Thirteen additional inmates at the Orleans Parish Justice Center have had tests come back positive for the coronavirus since Friday, the sheriff's office reported Monday.
There had been only two positive cases among the 751 inmates at the justice center as of Friday.
In addition to those 15, the statement from the sheriff's office said that seven other inmates are exhibiting signs of the virus.
There are also 29 employees that have tested positive for COVID-19 since the outbreak began. That is out of 896 employees at the sheriff's office. In addition there are 10 employees of the Justice Center's contracted medical provider WellPath, which provides medical services to the center.
Tulane offering free testing, treatment for New Orleans first responders
So far, 118 people in the New Orleans Police Department have felt the impact of the coronavirus. Thirty-six actually tested positive. Others self-quarantined after having symptoms or being in contact with someone who tested positive.
Now, there’s a new program that started today by local doctors to help the NOPD and other first responders.
Tulane healthcare workers have rolled out a new testing program for the men and women of NOPD, EMS, NOFD and Louisiana State Police. The Tulane Wellness Clinic is treating the men and women in uniform, virtually, by telemedicine visits. They are also offering them drive through testing.
"This was the first full day. We’re ramping up. We’re expecting to test up to 30-to-40 people a day," said Joe Esneault, Executive Director of Clinical Services at the Tulane School of Medicine.
There will be no out-of-pocket costs and no lines. With the new on-site lab that opened last week at the Tulane School of Medicine, test results come back within hours.
Paycheck Protection Program can keep workers paid, but it won't save bars, restaurants, industry leaders warn
For Polly Watts, owner of The Avenue Pub, the Paycheck Protection Program meant to help small businesses keep their workers on the payroll aligns directly with the biggest challenge she’s faced since her bar closed due to state and local mandates.
“It focuses on my employees," Watts said. "The money flows through me, but it’s designed and aimed to keep my employees on payroll and their benefits intact."
Keeping her workers paid is at the top of Watt’s mind, but she believes this pandemic could lead to the permanent closure of bars and restaurants throughout the city.
“Their biggest challenge is not actually paying their staff, their biggest challenge is paying their rent or paying their mortgage,” Watts said.
Under the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program, loans will be fully forgiven is if the funds are used for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities, but 75 percent of the forgiven amount must be used for payroll.
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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