New Orleans Coronavirus Death Rate Is Double That Of New York City Per Capita

On several Sunday morning news shows, top U.S. officials attempted to prepare the public for a dismal week as infections and deaths from the coronavirus pandemic escalate.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease specialist, said in an interview on CBS, the U.S. is losing when it comes to controlling the spread of the coronavirus. “To say we have it under control would be a false statement. We are struggling to get it under control.”

The U.S. surgeon general echoed Fauci’s sentiments, saying this week is going to be the “hardest and the saddest” for “most Americans’ lives,” comparing the coronavirus pandemic as a “Pearl Harbor moment” and a “9/11 moment.”

STATES

In Michigan and Milwaukee, African Americans are contracting and dying from coronavirus at an alarming rate. In Milwaukee county, blacks made up almost half of the cases and 81% of the deaths, in a tally on Friday morning. Similarly, blacks made up 35% and 40% of Michigan’s cases and deaths, respectively.

As hospitals reach capacity in New York, the number of deaths over the past few days has been dropping “for the first time,” Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Sunday during a press conference. He added that ICU admissions are also down, daily intubations are down “slightly”, and the hospital discharge rate is “way up”.

New Orleans is now one of the country’s coronavirus hotspots, with a death rate per-capita double that of New York City. Louisiana could run out of ventilators by the end of the week if the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise, said Governor John Bel Edwards.

The number of coronavirus cases continues to increase in New Jersey, adding nearly 3,500 positive coronavirus cases over the weekend.

Officials had to close fisherman’s market at The Wharf in DC after videos and photos of hundreds of people packed closed together appeared on social media on Saturday.

Washington state is sending 400 ventilators back to national stockpile to assist those states hit hardest by the coronavirus. Governor Jay Inslee said the state recently purchased 750 ventilators.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Amazon Prime Day, usually held in July, will be postponed because of the coronavirus. The company says Prime Day will not be held until at least August.

Retailers including Costco, Publix and Sam’s Club announced they will be closed on Easter to give overworked employees a day off. Other retailers to close on Easter are:

Aldi (Stores are closed except for California locations, according to the Aldi website.)

BI-LO

BJ’s Wholesale Club

Costco

Harveys Supermarket

H-E-B

Publix

Sam’s Club

Sears

Sprouts Farmers Market

Target

Trader Joe’s

Winn-Dixie

LATEST NUMBERS

According to Johns Hopkins University’s tally of cases in the United States, there are at least 321,762 cases of coronavirus in the US and 9,132 people have died.