Of the 13 parishes in Louisiana with the highest death rates, 10 lie along the industrial corridor that lines the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge down to the river’s mouth. And notably, every parish along the river from Plaquemines to West Baton Rouge is among the top 50 in coronavirus deaths per capita – save for East Baton Rouge, which is ranked No. 52.
Month: April 2020
Lafayette General Health lays out coronavirus surge plan, offers detailed picture of hospitalizations
This is the first time the hospital system has ever had to execute its surge plan.
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Coronavirus has Lafayette’s restaurant workers living on the fly
In better times, many servers and bartenders are forced to cut costs around healthcare, food, or rent. Setting aside money for savings is not often feasible.
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A closely watched model of the coronavirus pandemic showed a dramatic shift for the better in Louisiana overnight, but changes to the methodology used by researchers suggest that it might be too early to celebrate.
Worst-case scenario projections show Lafayette metro area losing 60,000 jobs during pandemic
Projections from local and national analysts warn that unemployment could hit 30% or more in the coming months due to the coronavirus. Lafayette is especially vulnerable because of the fall of oil and gas. Tens of thousands could be out of work by summertime.
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Lafayette’s food economy turns to hustles old and new to stay afloat during the pandemic
Coronavirus has caused a major gap in the food economy that some local farmers and restaurateurs are hustling to fill.
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The hotel, which is the city’s fourth-largest with 1,110 rooms, joins the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in providing large-scale space that can be converted into overflow facilities for patients who are infected with the pathogen but no longer need hospital care.
The first 1,000 beds at the Convention Center are expected to be ready Monday, and Gov. John Bel Edwards has mandated that an additional 1,000 beds be installed there.
With N95s in short supply, Lafayette General is sourcing disposable masks from surgical wraps
Seamstresses at New Iberia-based Action Specialties are turning out thousands of mask shields for Lafayette General’s frontline workers.
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Lafayette charities fear wave of need as thousands apply for unemployment related to coronavirus
Programs typically strained in normal circumstances are poised to be slammed from two sides, as job losses surge people into unprecedented vulnerability and contributions dry up.
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Survey highlights initial impact of COVID-19 on Acadiana businesses
Of roughly 1,000 local businesses surveyed between March 19 and March 25, 91% expected revenue to decline.
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The ambitious $350 billion Paycheck Protection Program passed by Congress one week ago to help small businesses weather the coronavirus crisis rolls out this morning amid confusion and mixed signals.
Updated federal guidelines for the program were not issued until late Thursday night in a 31-page “interim final rules” document, just hours before the PPP was supposed to begin accepting applications, and most banks are still not ready.
Source: Banks urge patience as PPP rollout gets off to a rocky start
Ochsner Health System officials will soon begin using rapid COVID-19 tests in their emergency rooms and other areas to screen out patients who have the disease, they said Thursday.
The tests by Abbott Laboratories were cleared by the Food and Drug Administration last week and were shipped to hospitals beginning Wednesday. Ochsner has received some of the tests kits as of Thursday. The 5-minute test joins another 45-minute test in Ochsner’s stockpile and the same-day tests it has had for weeks.