NEW ORLEANS — Latest Numbers:
- 1,862 deaths (+65)
- 28,711 total cases (+710)
- 1,607 patients in hospitals (+6)
- 230 patients on ventilators (-1)
- 64 of 64 parishes reporting cases
- 17,303 presumed recoveries
- 168,251 tests performed (+6,942)
Key Updates:
- As part of COVID-19 restrictions easing slightly starting May 1, Louisiana restaurants outside New Orleans can now offer outdoor seating and malls can offer curbside pickup.
- Business at MSY Airport remains at a trickle on what would have been one of the businesses weekends of the year.
- Various organizations and neighbors around Southeast Louisiana are doing their parts to help feed those in need in creative ways.
Military flyover honors New Orleans area coronavirus workers
The U.S. military said thank you to front line workers fighting the coronavirus outbreak in Louisiana in spectacular fashion Friday morning.
The U.S. Air Force and Louisiana Air National Guard conducted a special flyover of several medical complexes in New Orleans Friday. Hundreds of healthcare workers and thousands of residents gathered outside to see four impressive planes zooming overhead.
It was the military's way to thank Louisiana's medical professionals battling COVID-19, which has claimed nearly 2,000 lives in the state and hospitalized hundreds of people.
Two massive two massive B-52 "Stratofortresses" took flight from the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, soaring over the city flanked by two F-15 Strike Eagles from the 159th Fighter Wing out of New Orleans.
“The special bomber demonstrations are not only a tribute to these individuals, but also serve as a visible reminder of Americans’ solidarity and drive during a very challenging time,” said Maj. Gen. James Dawkins Jr., 8th Air Force and Joint-Global Strike Operations Center commander.
MSY Airport nearly empty as COVID-19 kills travel around the world
It’s not typically what you’d see. But cleaning crews outnumbering passengers is also an unusual sight.
Most days, passengers would be snaking through the line at the TSA checkpoint at Armstrong International, but like every airport everywhere, things right now are basically dead.
A little more than 119,000 people went through TSA checkpoints at 440 airports across the country on Wednesday. Compare that to the same day last year when 2,256,442 people were screened.
“The nation’s down 95, 97 percent, we’re right there as well,” said Kevin Dolliole, the city’s aviation director.
That’s led some restaurants behind the checkpoint to close for now.
'These situations are real'; New Orleans woman urges caution after losing mother and grandmother
Corayna Jones is holding onto photos of happier times.
She has tons of pictures, she said, of her mother, Cabertha Jones, and grandmother, Oramae Jones. They both died with COVID-19, weeks apart.
Jones is 24 years old and a Delgado Community College student who works part-time. She's now left alone in the house they all shared together.
Over a Zoom interview, Jones said she takes the grief minute by minute. "In this moment, I'm okay. I can't tell you how I'm going to be in 30 minutes, but right now, I'm fine."
Walmart gives Louisiana hourly associates $3.52 million in cash bonuses
Walmart hourly associates in Louisiana received a bonus in their paychecks Thursday (April 30) adding up to $3.52 million statewide, according to WBRZ.
This comes as the world's largest retailer gave associates $180 million in bonuses nationwide.
When combined with the $365 million announced earlier this month, Walmart has committed close to $550 million in bonus payouts to its associates.
Walmart also announced that it has reached its goal of hiring an additional 200,000 associates nationwide in less than six weeks.
Company opens makeshift grocery stores at hospitals for healthcare workers
f you’re working 12-hour shifts in a hospital during a pandemic, the last thing you have energy for is waiting in long lines to 'make' groceries or waiting outside a drug store only to find the bathroom supplies sold out.
People who work at a company called Aramark stepped in.
"I had a crazy text on a Monday, and by Thursday, you know, five hospitals mobilized this. I give all of the credit to those folks that did it," said Scott Parker, the Vice-President of Operations at Aramark.
Aramark handles the food services and environmental cleaning at some hospitals run by LCMC, like Touro and UMC, and they decided to open makeshift grocery stores in the hospitals so health care workers could do their essential goods shopping onsite at the end of their shifts.
Twin brothers who beat COVID-19 donating plasma to help others
Two twin brothers will celebrate their last day as high school seniors not with a party or friends, but by helping give life.
Kevin and Joe Sentilles are identical twins who tested positive for COVID-19 in March. It was a family fight, since their other brother, sister and mother also got it.
“Not only was I afraid for my own life, I was afraid they would be next,” their mother Nora Sentilles said.
Nora, who ended up in the hospital, is now battling the virus at home. Kevin and Joe have recovered though and plan to donate their plasma.
“Put yourself in the shoes of someone else who’s on the verge of dying from Coronavirus or who’s really sick from it,” Kevin Sentilles said.
Meal assistance program looks to help people falling through the cracks
At the corner of Burgundy and St. Peter in the French Quarter, there’s an intersection of gratitude and blessings. For Cindy Cochran, it’s one less thing to stress about since being out of a job.
“Particularly here in this neighborhood, almost all of us are in the service industry and almost all of us lost our jobs,” Cochran said.
Cochran was a tour guide before coronavirus shut the industry down. Now, she’s thankful for causes like the Crescent City Meal Assistant Program, which is serving meals by the thousands.
“We didn’t really know how we were going to do it, but we knew that we could get it done,” said Sarah Manowitz, co-founder of the program.
The need grew every day and quickly. Now they’re serving up to 28,000 meals a week to anyone in need.
Louisiana's restrictions on religious gatherings give faith leaders pause
Gov. John Bel Edwards publicly responded to a letter from Attorney General Jeff Landry, asking the governor to change a proclamation that stops churches and houses of worship from gathering.
“We're going to do it in a way that we feel comfortable, that isn’t going to cause a spike in cases,” the governor said.
According to the attorney general, there is some concern growing with the faith-based communities. He said some are growing weary with the continued prohibition to reopen their churches, which may lead many to begin ignoring the orders.
Pastor Tony Spell of Life Tabernacle Church in Central, Louisiana, continues to hold service with hundreds of members despite multiple misdemeanor charges and being placed on house arrest.
Donate meals to local food banks by singing 'You Are My Sunshine'
We could all use a little sunshine right now and Lusher High School’s musical theater students are giving it to us with their version of Louisiana’s State Anthem.
Lusher students recorded “You Are My Sunshine” for Louisiana Fish Fry’s “Let’s Sing, Louisiana” project. For each video submission they receive of somebody singing the first verse to “You Are My Sunshine,” Louisiana Fish Fry will donate 100 meals to local food banks.
Here’s how it works. Upload your video to their website here, or post it on social media using the hashtag #LetsSingLouisiana and they’ll do the rest!
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.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.
