Louisiana waits on ventilator shipment as virus deaths spike
State Rep. Paula Davis, R-Dist. 69, holds a mask to her face as legislators convene in a limited number while exercising social distancing, due to the new coronavirus pandemic, at the State Capitol in Baton Rouge, La., Tuesday, March 31, 2020. They assembled briefly on the last day bills cold be introduced during the legislative session. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
State Rep. Paula Davis, R-Dist. 69, holds holds her hand to her heart for the Pledge of Allegiance, as legislators convene in a limited number while exercising social distancing, due to the new coronavirus pandemic, at the State Capitol in Baton Rouge, La., Tuesday, March 31, 2020. They assembled briefly on the last day bills could be introduced during the legislative session. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
State Rep. Jason Hughes, D-Dist. 100, has his temperature taken as he arrives at the State Capitol in Baton Rouge, La., Tuesday, March 31, 2020. Legislators convened in limited numbers, while exercising social distancing due to the new coronavirus pandemic, on the last day bills could be introduced during the legislative session. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
State Rep. Vincent Pierre, D-Dist. 44, wears a mask as legislators convene in a limited number, while exercising social distancing, due to the new coronavirus pandemic, at the State Capitol in Baton Rouge, La., Tuesday, March 31, 2020. They assembled briefly on the last day bills could be introduced during the legislative session. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
State Rep. R. Dewith Carrier, R-Dist. 32, has his temperature taken as he arrives at the State Capitol in Baton Rouge, La., Tuesday, March 31, 2020. Legislators convened in limited numbers, while exercising social distancing due to the new coronavirus pandemic, on the last day bills could be introduced during the legislative session. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
State Rep. Vincent Pierre, D-Dist. 44, wears a mask and gloves as legislators convene in a limited number while exercising social distancing, due to the new coronavirus pandemic, at the state Capitol in Baton Rouge, La., Tuesday, March 31, 2020. They assembled briefly since it was the last day bills cold be introduced during the legislative session. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
State Rep. Denise Marcelle, D-Dist. 61, wears a mask as legislators convene in a limited number while exercising social distancing, due to the new coronavirus pandemic, at the State Capitol in Baton Rouge, La., Tuesday, March 31, 2020. They assembled briefly on the last day bills could be introduced during the legislative session. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
FILE - In this Feb. 7, 2018, file photo, state Rep. Ted James, D-Baton Rouge speaks with a colleague during a legislative hearing in Baton Rouge, La. James, a Baton Rouge Democrat who chairs the House criminal justice committee, announced late Monday that he was in the hospital with pneumonia stemming from the virus. The news was particularly jarring because James is only 37 years old. (AP Photo/Melinda Deslatte, File)
Observing social distancing, Dr. Alex Billioux, asst. state public health officer, right, watches as Gov. John Bel Edwards addresses steps being taken to fight the Coronavirus during a press conference at GOHSEP Monday March 30, 2020, in Baton Rouge, La. (Bill Feig/The Advocate via AP, Pool)
Observing social distancing, Gov. John Bel Edwards, center, watches as Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services Secretary Marketa Walters, right, addresses supplemental SNAP benefits in response to the coronavirus during a press conference at GOHSEP Monday March 30, 2020, in Baton Rouge, La. Sylvie Sullivan, left, does sigs interpretation for the meeting. (Bill Feig/The Advocate via AP, Pool)
Gov. John Bel Edwards speaks to reporters about coronavirus cases in Louisiana on Monday, March 30, 2020, in Baton Rouge, La. Edwards said that he will extend Louisiana's "stay at home" order through the end of April, in line with President Donald Trump's most recent guidance. (AP Photo/Melinda Deslatte)
Loyola University professor Dr. CJ Stephenson packs boxes of protective gloves from the Chemistry Department storeroom at Loyola University to donate to the Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, La. Monday, March 30, 2020. Loyola University professors Dr. CJ Stephenson and Dr. Elin Grissom responded to a request by the Tulane University School of Medicine that is asking for public donations of medical protection wear and disposable laboratory supplies. The full list of needed items and the places to donate can be found at medicine.tulane.edu/need-medical-supplies. (Max Becher…
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana saw its deadliest day of the coronavirus epidemic Tuesday, as the state awaited a promised shipment of ventilators from the national stockpile to help care for its most fragile COVID-19 patients and braced for a looming weekend deadline when New Orleans hospitals are expected to run out of the breathing machines.
Fifty-four more Louisianans have died from the virus, bringing the state's death toll to 239, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. Increased testing shows more than 5,200 people have confirmed infections, according to the figures, up more than 1,200 in the largest single-day spike in the number of new virus cases Louisiana has seen since its first infection was reported March 9.
Gov. John Bel Edwards called the numbers “sobering.”
“We have yet to see any evidence that we are flattening the curve,” the governor said. “That puts us firmly on a path to exceeding our capacity to deliver health care.”
Edwards said the numbers reenforce his decision to extend Louisiana's “stay at home” order through the end of April, in line with President Donald Trump's most recent guidance. The Democratic governor's order had been scheduled to end April 13, but he said it will be extended to April 30.
The extension will keep schools closed, nonessential businesses shuttered, restaurants limited to delivery and takeout and gatherings above 10 people banned for more than two additional weeks.
State lawmakers returned to the Louisiana Capitol on Tuesday for a short introduction of last-minute bills on the last day they could introduce legislation for the regular session, including emergency measures aimed at the coronavirus pandemic.
Lawmakers took precautionary measures to distance themselves in the House and Senate chambers as they convened to read in those bills and then an hour later adjourned again until a later date, which hasn't been set. Just over half of legislators attended — a few in masks and gloves and almost no lawmakers from the New Orleans area, which is a hot spot for the virus. In the House, lawmakers sat along the walls and in desks that weren't their own to keep a safe distance from each other.
Baton Rouge Rep. Ted James, the 37-year-old Democratic chairman of the House criminal justice committee, announced late Monday that he was in the hospital with pneumonia stemming from the virus.
"I hope my constituents and the people of Louisiana look at my experience and understand that this virus does not know age, race, health or socioeconomic status," James said in a statement. He added: "I implore everyone to stay home, stay safe and save lives. I know God is in control, and I look forward to beating this and returning to work soon.”
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. But for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause severe symptoms like pneumonia and be fatal. The disease is highly contagious.
The hard-hit New Orleans region, Edwards said, is on track to run out of ventilators by this weekend and hospital beds a week later. A desperate search for ventilators has turned up few so far. Trump has committed to send 150 ventilators from the national stockpile, the governor's office said. Louisiana is seeking thousands of the breathing devices.
To meet the increasing demand for hospital beds, Louisiana is creating a new 1,000-bed hospital at the convention center in New Orleans for recovering patients who no longer need ventilators or intensive care. Edwards said the facility, which is costing an estimated $91 million to set up and staff, will open by Sunday.
In northwest Louisiana, which was seeing an uptick in virus cases, police in Shreveport said they were going to give summonses to any businesses or people that had been warned about violating the ban on gatherings, news outlets reported. DeSoto Parish Sheriff Jayson Richardson said some have "egregiously ignored and violated" the governor's stay-home order, and his deputies and Mansfield police would be cracking down, KTBS-TV reported.
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This story has been corrected to remove a reference to two lawmakers being hospitalized by the virus. Only one lawmaker is currently hospitalized.
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