Today, State will be sending ‘surge ambulances’ to New Orleans and other COVID-19 affected areas.
The additional ambulances will help the New Orleans EMS in their daily fight against the coronavirus.
A NOEMS press release says, “EMS healthcare providers are on the frontlines, first responding to COVID-19 related emergencies. EMS is also still responding to critical items in the community- cardiac arrests, motor vehicle accidents, shootings, and other medial and traumatic emergencies.”
"Because of the extreme increase of calls to 9-1-1, New Orleans EMS has temporarily amended policy to allow for basic life support [BLS] transports. This will allow us to easily staff ambulances as we are experiencing a shortage in paramedics due to health reasons," said Chief of New Orleans EMS, Bill Salmeron.
The press release also says the NOEMS Exposure Task Force has reported 94 out of 170 total employees have been exposed to COVID-19 and meet the parameters for quarantine. But the report says according to CDC guidelines, non-symptomatic medics and healthcare providers may continue to work as long as they wear a mask and monitor their symptoms.
Related: Dozens of EMS workers exposed to coronavirus
New Orleans EMS says the agency has 28 employees who are showing symptoms of coronavirus and are isolated at home but says New Orleans EMS has zero employees who tested positive COVID-19, but there are several test results are pending.