New Orleans officials called a news conference today to address climbing coronavirus numbers in the community.
"We are now in that heightened level of risk... our average daily case count... is about five times higher than a month ago," Health Director, Dr. Jennifer Avegno explained. "We are not seeing a strain on our hospital capacity yet."
New York city just reissued recommendations that people wear masks again indoors.
New Orleans is going there too.
"We are strongly recommending returning to universal, broad indoor masking in public spaces," Avegno urged.
Could there be another mask mandate coming in New Orleans?
"Right now that is not being considered," Avegno said.
She says while this is not a mandate, if more people mask up, it can shorten the anticipated surge.
Avegno added that one challenge is the short supply of the FDA authorized COVID treatment drug Paxlovid.
According to Avegno, Paxlovid can be found at test-to-treat centers which are found at the CVS on the corner of Claiborne and Napoleon, and DePaul Community Health Centers at S. Carrollton Avenue and and Oleander Street in the New Orleans area.
The FDA says that the oral medication is a major step forward in the fight against this global pandemic.
Patrizia Cavazzoni, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, “This authorization provides a new tool to combat COVID-19 at a crucial time in the pandemic as new variants emerge and promises to make antiviral treatment more accessible to patients who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19.”
In New Orleans, however, the health director said there are only two pharmacies where you can get the oral medication.
Avegno said that health risks from the pandemic continue to pose a threat, especially to seniors, individuals with pre-existing health conditions, and children who have not yet been vaccinated.
"After several weeks of monitoring a steady rise in COVID-19 levels in our area, the New Orleans Health Department urges residents and visitors to be mindful that the virus is spreading at an increasing rate," according to a news release.
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