Louisiana - 151,473 positive cases of COVID-19; 5,035 deaths

[Pathfinder]

New Orleans Mayor Cantrell said the city should expect to see more deaths; masks for public recommended

By Kendra Smith-Parks | April 3, 2020 at 3:29 PM CDT - Updated April 3 at 5:01 PM

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Mayor LaToya Cantrell said that five out of 100 people that have tested positive for COVID-19 have died, and people should expect to see more deaths.

“This virus has demonstrated that it is in control, not human beings. We cannot defy the laws of nature and expect to survive,” Cantrell said.

Dr. Jennifer Avegno, Director of New Orleans Health Department, said that the city is recommending people who need to go out into public should wear masks. Not the N95 masks, but the minimum protection masks that people commonly see on the street.
...
https://www.fox8live.com/2020/04/03/...e-coronavirus/

 

[Ronan Kelly]

12,496
Cases Reported*
409
Deaths Reported
Reported COVID-19 Patients in Hospitals
1,707
535 of those on ventilators
Tests Completed
4,194
by State Lab
Commercial Tests Completed
54,304
and Reported to State**
61 of 64
Parishes with Reported Cases
http://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus/

 

[Pathfinder]

State of Louisiana COVID-19 Data Models Show Thousands of New Hospitalizations Daily Without Effective Social Distancing Measures


April 03, 2020

Louisiana’s modeling data show the state on course to require 2,500 new hospitalizations a day in the New Orleans area by mid-May, if the public does not adhere to COVID-19 mitigation measures like Gov. Edwards’ Stay at Home order.

Governor Edwards and the Louisiana Department of Health on Friday shared a product of the state’s COVID-19 modeling that takes into account the Governor’s aggressive mitigation measures.

“There are increasing efforts across the country to understand the impact of social distancing, school closures, stay at home orders and other mitigation measures as we strive to flatten the curve and slow the spread of this virus,” said Governor John Bel Edwards. “What we are seeing is that many Louisianans are taking this seriously. Unfortunately, there are still others who are not, and perhaps it is because we have not fully impressed upon all of our citizens the serious consequences of not staying at home.”

Projections are based on modeling that accounts for the rate of hospitalization and death, as well as the capacity of health care facilities and medical surge efforts in each region. Each scenario is based on the number of new people a COVID-19 positive patient infects. In the most favorable scenario, this number is lower, with fewer people being infected and fewer health care resources needed.

Louisiana releases data about hospitalized cases and hospital and ventilator use each day on its COVD-19 dashboard at ldh.la.gov/coronavirus

The product of the Department’s COVID-19 model shows differing scenarios based on how well the public participates in different mitigation efforts. This graph shows projected new hospitalizations per day under four different scenarios in Region 1 (the Greater New Orleans Area). As the Department builds out additional regional projections, it will share them with the public.

“The consequences of not staying at home are real. You have heard me talk about flattening the curve before, and so might wonder why there are four curves here,” continued Governor Edwards. “These are four different scenarios based on actions we all take now.”

The high red curve is Louisiana’s baseline, or what would happen without any measures taken. This is the state’s worst-case scenario – there is a rapid rise in new hospitalizations, adding intense strain to the state’s overwhelmed health care system. In this scenario, many people will die.

“We all have the power to determine the path we end up on. We are not strangers to hurricane maps and projections in Louisiana. In some ways this graph is no different. Like projected paths of a hurricane these curves show different potential paths of coronavirus in Louisiana,” said Governor Edwards. “Importantly, unlike a hurricane, we have the ability to redirect the path of this virus.”

These blue and purple curves show the impact of social distancing and staying at home. These are much flatter curves, meaning far fewer people enter the hospital on any one day.

“On the purple curve or scenario where everyone complies with the stay at home order, the Greater New Orleans region’s health care system would have the time and the ability to take care of us as we get sick. It means far fewer of our neighbors, family members and friends will die,” said Dr. Alex Billioux, the Assistant Secretary of the Office of Public Health. “Unfortunately this is likely not the case on the blue curve or scenario where everyone is effectively social distancing in the region. Social distancing is a valuable shield against coronavirus, but it is not as strong as staying at home.”

The black curve shows the midpoint scenario and what the state is currently using to plan.

The above projections are dynamic and by definition will change with new underlying data. Changes in projections are largely driven by changing conditions on the ground. In summary, the Department generates these projections for the purposes of knowing what curve Louisiana is on and in what direction the state is trending. This will allow officials to better plan and allocate resources, and also so the public can clearly see that full compliance with the Stay at Home order and social distancing will produce the best possible outcome and save thousands of lives.

https://gov.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/...om/detail/2447

 

[Pathfinder]

Harahan council member: St. Joseph Nursing home ‘over fumigated’

By Katherine Mozzone | April 3, 2020 at 10:31 PM CDT - Updated April 3 at 10:43 PM

NEW ORLEANS, La. (WVUE) -
...
Harahan Council member Jason Asbill says Friday evening, Acadian Ambulance was transporting a patient with COVID symptoms when an EMT began vomiting. He says a cleaning company was at the nursing home at the same time and it is believed workers over-fumigated with chemicals.

Ambulances arrived to assess residents and Harahan Fire Department responded in full gear to ventilate the building.
...
https://www.fox8live.com/2020/04/04/harahan-council-member-nursing-home-over-fumigated/

----------------------------------------------------------

NOPD: 36 employees positive for COVID-19; 118 self-quarantined

Posted: Apr 3, 2020 / 04:23 PM CDT / Updated: Apr 3, 2020 / 04:23 PM CDT

NEW ORLEANS – The NOPD announced today that 36 department employees have tested positive for COVID-19, and another 118 quarantined themselves.
...
The employees who have tested positive and the ones who were self-quarantined include commissioned officers, civilian employees, and recruits, according to the NOPD.
...
https://wgno.com/news/health/corona...s-positive-for-covid-19-118-self-quarantined/

-----------------------------------------------------

JPSO sergeant dies after hospitalization for coronavirus

The sergeant was a 32-year veteran of the sheriff's office.

Author: WWL Staff
Published: 1:01 PM CDT April 4, 2020
Updated: 1:54 PM CDT April 4, 2020

JEFFERSON PARISH, La. — A sergeant who has been on the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office force for 32 years has died Friday after being hospitalized for coronavirus, JPSO officials confirmed.

Sergeant Alvis "Al" West III was 68 years old.

He was one of five deputies who had been hospitalized with the virus. Sheriff Joe Lopinto earlier had said that up to 40 deputies had tested positive for coronavirus, five of who were hospitalized, 2 in serious condition.

West was assigned to the fourth district, which covers part of the Eastbank.
...
https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/...irus/289-d6f4c253-4b48-4dac-a589-0af711aede4e

-------------------------------------------------------------

New Orleans convention center field hospital for coronavirus patients to open Monday with 1K beds

A motivational poster awaiting patients reads: 'Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning how to dance in the rain.'

BY RAMON ANTONIO VARGAS | STAFF WRITER PUBLISHED APR 4, 2020 AT 2:54 PM | UPDATED APR 4, 2020 AT 4:00 PM

As the number of coronavirus cases in Louisiana continued their ascent on Saturday, crews rushed to put the finishing touches on a makeshift, 1,000-bed hospital inside the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, scheduled to open Monday to ease the strain on area hospitals.

The capacity of the field hospital — being built in matter of days — can be increased to 2,000 beds by the end of April if necessary, demonstrating the sheer magnitude of the crisis posed by the COVID-19 virus, according to Assistant State Health Officer Dr. Joseph Kanter.
...
https://www.nola.com/news/coronavirus/article_20501da2-76ae-11ea-b7fd-7f8bb8917c1e.html

 

[Ronan Kelly]

13,010
Cases Reported*
477
Deaths Reported
Reported COVID-19 Patients in Hospitals
1,803
561 of those on ventilators
Tests Completed
4,368
by State Lab
Commercial Tests Completed
55,957
and Reported to State**
61 of 64
Parishes with Reported Cases
http://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus/

 

[Ronan Kelly]

14,867
Cases Reported*
512
Deaths Reported
Reported COVID-19 Patients in Hospitals
1,809
563 of those on ventilators
Tests Completed
4,510
by State Lab
Commercial Tests Completed
64,656
and Reported to State**
62 of 64
Parishes with Reported Cases
http://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus/

 

[Pathfinder]

Louisiana Department of Health Updates for 4/6/2020


April 06, 2020

The Louisiana Department of Health has updated its website to reflect the latest number of COVID-19 positives and will continue to update its website at noon each day.

As of noon on April 6, the Department reported 1,857 additional cases since yesterday, bringing the total to 14,867 positive cases.

Hospitalization
A total of 1,809 COVID-19 patients are currently hospitalized; of those, 563 patients require ventilation. Information on available hospital beds, ICU beds, and hospital vents is on the LDH dashboard.

Deaths
The Department reports an additional 35 deaths since yesterday, bringing the total to 512 deaths. Deaths are listed on the LDH dashboard by parish under the by parish tab and information by age can be found on the by age tab. Today, additional information was added to the LDH website to share a breakdown of deaths by race and underlying conditions by percentage.

Long-term care facilities
COVID-19 cases have been reported by 70 nursing homes in Louisiana. For context, there are a total of 436 nursing homes and adult residential care facilities in Louisiana. Within nursing homes, 363 patients have been reported to have COVID-19; among nursing home residents 103 deaths have been reported. These facilities care for thousands of Louisianans, including older people and those with underlying medical conditions that put them at higher risk for complications and death from COVID-19.

In many cases, a nursing home resident is tested and diagnosed with COVID-19 by a provider outside of the long-term care facility. The facilities have begun self-reporting positive cases to the Department of Health. Due to the volume, the Department is no longer listing individual facilities. The Department continues to work with facilities to minimize the spread of the illness and protect residents and staff. Facilities have been given guidance to minimize the spread of illness.

The Department will update the number of nursing homes with COVID-19 cases, the number of nursing home residents who are confirmed to have COVID-19 and the number of deaths among these residents on Mondays and Wednesdays.

http://ldh.la.gov/index.cfm/newsroom/detail/5530

 

[Shiloh]

Source: http://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus/

16,284 Cases Reported*
582 Deaths Reported
Reported COVID-19 Patients in Hospitals
1,996 519 of those on ventilators

 

[Pathfinder]

CDC says it did not advise Louisiana to stop naming nursing homes with coronavirus cases

BY FAIMON A. ROBERTS III and SAM KARLIN | Staff writers PUBLISHED APR 7, 2020 AT 7:30 PM | UPDATED APR 7, 2020 AT 7:41 PM

When Louisiana health officials announced they would no longer name individual nursing homes with coronavirus cases, they said they came to that decision in consultation with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But a CDC spokesman said Tuesday that the agency had not advised the state one way or the other, saying that the decision to name individual nursing homes is up to the state Department of Health.
...
Louisiana has a powerful nursing home lobby that has given hundreds of thousands of dollars to elected officials, some of whom have ownership stakes in facilities, something that was documented in an extensive series published in The Advocate in 2017.
...
https://www.nola.com/news/coronavirus/article_aba1df92-78e0-11ea-bda6-73ff51c40ff6.html

 

[Ronan Kelly]

17,030
Cases Reported*
652
Deaths Reported
Reported COVID-19 Patients in Hospitals
1,983
490 of those on ventilators
Tests Completed
4,766
by State Lab
Commercial Tests Completed
76,640
and Reported to State**
63 of 64
Parishes with Reported Cases
http://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus/

 

[Pathfinder]

Louisiana Department of Health Updates for 4/8/2020


April 08, 2020

The Louisiana Department of Health has extended its Emergency Order to align with the Governor’s Executive Order that has been extended to April 30. The LDH extension applies to all previously issued LDH Notices and Orders and shall remain in effect until 11:59 p.m. on April 30, 2020, but may be further extended by subsequent order of the State Health Officer. Click here to see the order.

The Louisiana Department of Health has updated its website to reflect the latest number of COVID-19 positives and will continue to update its website at noon each day.

As of noon on April 8, the Department reported 746 additional cases since yesterday, bringing the total to 17,030 positive cases.

To receive critical guidance about COVID-19, text LACOVID to 67283.

Hospitalization
Today, a total of 1,983 COVID-19 patients are currently hospitalized; of those, 490 patients require ventilation.

Information on available hospital beds, ICU beds and hospital vents is on the LDH dashboard.

Deaths
The Department reports an additional 70 deaths since yesterday, bringing the total to 652 deaths. Deaths are listed on the LDH dashboard by parish under the by parish tab and information by age can be found on the by age tab.

Yesterday, additional information was added to the LDH website to share a breakdown of deaths by race and underlying conditions by percentage.

Long-term care facilities
COVID-19 cases have been reported by 93 nursing homes in Louisiana. For context, there are a total of 436 nursing homes and adult residential care facilities in Louisiana. Within nursing homes, 557 patients have been reported to have COVID-19; among nursing home residents 130 deaths have been reported. These facilities care for thousands of Louisianans, including older people and those with underlying medical conditions that put them at higher risk for complications and death from COVID-19.

In many cases, a nursing home resident is tested and diagnosed with COVID-19 by a provider outside of the long-term care facility. The facilities have begun self-reporting positive cases to the Department of Health. Due to the volume, the Department is no longer listing individual facilities. The Department continues to work with facilities to minimize the spread of the illness and protect residents and staff. Facilities have been given guidance to minimize the spread of illness.

The Department will update the number of nursing homes with COVID-19 cases, the number of nursing home residents who are confirmed to have COVID-19 and the number of deaths among these residents on Mondays and Wednesdays.

http://ldh.la.gov/index.cfm/newsroom/detail/5533

 

[Shiloh]

Source: http://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus/

18,283 Cases Reported*
702 Deaths Reported
2,014 Reported COVID-19 Patients in Hospitals
473 of those on ventilators

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Louisiana Coronavirus (COVID-19) InformationLDH Logo

19,253
Cases Reported*
755
Deaths Reported
Reported COVID-19 Patients in Hospitals
2,054
479 of those on ventilators
Tests Completed
5,159
by State Lab
Commercial Tests Completed
87,121
and Reported to State**
63 of 64
Parishes with Reported Cases
http://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus/

 

[Ronan Kelly]

20,014
Cases Reported*
806
Deaths Reported
Reported COVID-19 Patients in Hospitals
2,067
470 of those on ventilators
Tests Completed
5,326
by State Lab
Commercial Tests Completed
91,589
and Reported to State**
64 of 64
Parishes with Reported Cases
http://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus/

 

[Ronan Kelly]

20,595
Cases Reported*
840
Deaths Reported
Reported COVID-19 Patients in Hospitals
2,084
458 of those on ventilators
Tests Completed
5,519
by State Lab
Commercial Tests Completed
98,526
and Reported to State**
64 of 64
Parishes with Reported Cases
http://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus/

 

[Ronan Kelly]

21,016
Cases Reported*
884
Deaths Reported
Reported COVID-19 Patients in Hospitals
2,134
461 of those on ventilators
Tests Completed
5,589
by State Lab
Commercial Tests Completed
102,502
and Reported to State**
64 of 64
Parishes with Reported Cases
http://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus/

 

[Ronan Kelly]

21,518
Cases Reported*
1,013
Deaths Reported
Reported COVID-19 Patients in Hospitals
1,977
436 of those on ventilators
Tests Completed
5,681
by State Lab
Commercial Tests Completed
112,741
and Reported to State**
64 of 64
Parishes with Reported Cases
http://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus/

 

[Pathfinder]

Gov. Edwards Issues Statement as Louisiana Surpasses 1,000 COVID-19 Deaths

April 14, 2020

Gov. John Bel Edwards issued the following statement as Louisiana’s death toll from COVID-19 surpassed 1,000 on Tuesday. At the state’s noon update, the Louisiana Department of Health reported 129 additional deaths, bringing the death total to 1,013. Not every death reported Tuesday occurred within 24 hours, as reporting to the state may take several days.

Gov. Edwards said:

“Today’s death count is the largest we have reported in a single day since this COVID-19 outbreak started and it brings the number of Louisianans we have lost to more than 1,000. That’s 1,013 people who are someone’s mother, father, sister, or brother or child or aunt or uncle. They are our neighbors, friends and coworkers. They are more than just a number on a report or graph, and as our fellow Louisianans, we all grieve alongside their families.

Our analysis shows that most deaths come 11.2 days after the onset of symptoms, which is why we must look at long-term data and trends. It is also why it is incumbent upon our people to follow the Stay at Home order, because just as the positive things we do now will save lives in the future, the negative things we do could threaten lives as well.”

For information and updates on COVID-19, Louisianans can visit coronavirus.la.gov and text LACOVID to 67283.

https://gov.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/newsroom/detail/2461

 

[Ronan Kelly]

21,951
Cases Reported*
1,103
Deaths Reported
Reported COVID-19 Patients in Hospitals
1,943
425 of those on ventilators
Tests Completed
5,817
by State Lab
Commercial Tests Completed
116,111
and Reported to State**
64 of 64
Parishes with Reported Cases
http://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus/

 

[Pathfinder]

Louisiana Department of Health Updates for 4/15/2020


April 15, 2020

The Louisiana Department of Health has updated its website to reflect the latest number of COVID-19 positives and will continue to update its website at noon each day. As of noon on April 15, the Department reported 433 additional cases since yesterday, bringing the total to 21,951 positive cases.

Hospitalization
A total of 1,943 COVID-19 patients are currently hospitalized; of those, 425 patients require ventilation. Information on available hospital beds, ICU beds, and hospital vents is on the LDH dashboard.

Deaths
The Department reports an additional 90 deaths since yesterday, bringing the total to 1,103 deaths. Deaths are listed on the LDH dashboard by parish under the by parish tab and information by age can be found on the by age tab.

Nursing homes
COVID-19 cases have been reported by 124 nursing homes in Louisiana. 1,320 COVID cases have been reported among residents of nursing homes; 275 COVID-19 deaths have been reported among residents of nursing homes. These facilities care for thousands of Louisianans, including older people and those with underlying medical conditions that put them at higher risk for complications and death from COVID-19. This does not include other adult residential settings.

In many cases, a nursing home resident is tested and diagnosed with COVID-19 by a provider outside of the long-term care facility. The facilities have begun self-reporting positive cases to the Department of Health. Due to the volume, the Department is no longer listing individual facilities. The Department continues to work with facilities to minimize the spread of the illness and protect residents and staff. Facilities have been given guidance to minimize the spread of illness.

The Department will update the number of nursing homes with COVID-19 cases, the number of nursing home residents who are confirmed to have COVID-19 and the number of deaths among these residents on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Returning to work guidance
The Department has issued guidance for essential workers returning to work post-COVID-19 recovery.

http://ldh.la.gov/index.cfm/newsroom/detail/5548

--------------------------------------------------

Emergency Order: COVID-19 Testing by Pharmacists
April 15, 2020
This Emergency Order shall be effective as of 11:59 p.m. on April 15, 2020, and shall extend through the declared public health emergency, unless otherwise modified, revoked, or suspended by subsequent order of the State Health Officer.

http://ldh.la.gov/assets/oph/Coronav...VIDTesting.pdf