NEW ORLEANS — It's not too hot, not too cold, and the sunlight is sticking around a bit later than usual. This is the time of year in New Orleans when people usually spend plenty of time outdoors -- whether it’s a walk to the neighborhood snoball stand after school, or a night at an outdoor concert with friends and family after work. Instead, the streets are starting to become empty, the playgrounds have become quiet, and a darkness has set over the city, the state, the country, and the world.
Why? The Coronavirus – more specifically, COVID-19. For months it was a word used to describe something happening halfway across the world. We never thought would end up here. We looked at people in other countries wearing masks, thinking how strange and extreme that was. Now, it’s a reality we’re all facing, especially here in New Orleans. We're staying indoors, distancing ourselves from others, and we're certainly not celebrating life the way we always have in this city.
While we report on more Coronavirus cases, and mourn the tragic deaths, we also need to celebrate the small victories - a patient previously on a ventilator, now breathing on his own, people surviving this illness, and doctors saving lives.
The most important thing we can do as humans is be selfless. Right now, you may feel isolated and alone, but you are not alone. We are all working together, even though it’s at a distance right now, to save lives -- whether it’s a doctor on the front lines, police officers keeping the peace, a journalist getting crucial information to the public, a teacher continuing to educate students, or a restaurant owner nourishing the public.
We all have a role in saving the future of New Orleans, the United States and the world. Do your part to save lives. We’re in this together.
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