COVID-19)Novel Coronavirus Update 310800MAR20
Online John Hopkins CSSE Coronavirus Dashboard
WHO Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) website
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Novel coronavirus in China page
LOUISIANA
Please go to http://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus/ for official information on Positive Test Results and locations. It is updated 12 noon daily. LDH officials’ latest report: As of last report there are 59 of 64 parishes reporting with 4,025 cases of COVID-19 and 185 deaths across the state. SEE END OF REPORT FOR PARISH INFO.
14 case(s) 0 death(s) under investigation to determine the “home of record/residency” to list them properly.
1,158 Reported COVID-19 Patients in Hospitals
3,180 Tests Completed 3,180 State Lab 30,853 Commercial Tests Completed and Reported
59 of 64 Parishes with Reported Cases
The number of cases worldwide continues to climb. According to health officials, there have been 788,522 confirmed cases of COVID-19. More than 166,276 people have recovered, and 37,840 people have died. There’s mounting evidence the economically crippling measures have work, but as one World Health Organization official said Monday: “This is going to be a long-term battle and we cannot let down our guard.”
In the U.S., the coronavirus outbreak is on pace to become the biggest and deadliest in the world on Tuesday. The death toll was already over 3,100 Monday night, just several hundred lower than in China. More than 500 deaths were added to the U.S. toll Monday alone. The number of confirmed U.S. cases is already far higher than any other nation’s at about 165,000. Due to these conditions, about three out of four Americans are now, or about to be, under some form of lockdown, as more states tighten measures to fight the coronavirus. Maryland, Virginia, Arizona and Tennessee became the latest states to order citizens to stay at home, meaning 32 of 50 states have taken such steps. Meanwhile, the US-Canada border remains closed to all nonessential travel from 23:59 (local time) on Friday, March 20, until Monday, April 20. On the same date, authorities announced that the US and Mexico will also close their shared border to nonessential travel from Saturday, March 21. The border closures will not affect trade. The CDC urges residents of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately. This Domestic Travel Advisory does not apply to employees of critical infrastructure industries, including but not limited to trucking, public health professionals, financial services, and food supply. These employees of critical infrastructure, as defined by the Department of Homeland Security (https://www.cisa.gov/publication/guidance-essential-critical-infrastructure-workforceexternal icon) have a special responsibility to maintain normal work schedule. The Governors of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut will have full discretion to implement this Domestic Travel Advisory. The U.S. State Department has issued a “Do Not Travel” health advisory. The Department of State advises U.S. citizens to avoid all international travel due to the global impact of COVID-19. In countries where commercial departure options remain available, U.S. citizens who live in the United States should arrange for immediate return to the United States, unless they are prepared to remain abroad for an indefinite period. U.S. citizens who live abroad should avoid all international travel.
While the NCAA on Monday voted to allow Division I spring-sport athletes who had their seasons shortened by the coronavirus pandemic to have an additional year of eligibility. The extra year of eligibility will be granted to all spring-sport athletes, regardless of their current class.
TEXAS – In the Houston Metro area, the number of coronavirus cases climbs to 1,054 with 11 deaths, 79 recoveries reported. Per the current order, everyone in Houston and Harris County is required to remain at home unless they are conducting essential business such as grocery shopping, picking up food or going to work at businesses that are deemed essential. Public and private gatherings outside of a household or single living unit are prohibited. Parks remain open, but the use of benches, playgrounds and workout equipment is prohibited. The order also requires everyone to maintain social distancing of at least six feet. Grocery stores and gas stations remain open. Restaurants can operate, but only as a take-out option.
CALIFORNIA – The Celebrity Eclipse cruise ship disembarked the majority of its 2,500 passengers in San Diego, California, as of Monday night. They all had to be screened before being allowed off, and no one has shown any signs of COVID-19. The ship will remain in San Diego until Tuesday night, when it will head to Mexico to disembark the remaining 213 passengers.
FLORIDA – Two Royal Caribbean crew members – one from the Symphony of the Seas and one from the Oasis of the Seas – were “medically evacuated” from their respective ships Monday at Port Everglades, Florida, the cruise line and U.S. Coast Guard confirmed. A separate cruise liner, a Holland America ship called the Zaandam, is traveling toward Florida with four dead passengers and 179 others with flu-like symptoms. The Florida governor’s office stated Monday that the passengers cannot be brought to Florida out of concern that they will use up Florida hospitals’ scarce resources. So far, two passengers have tested positive for COVID-19. Four doctors and four nurses are on board the Zaandam to treat 1,243 passengers and 586 crew members. The ship currently has 138 U.S. citizens on board. Another 166 U.S. citizens were transferred to the Rotterdam, a second Holland America ship, which is being used to house passengers who don’t have symptoms. Both ships plan to sail toward Fort Lauderdale.
NEW YORK – As of yesterday, 790 people have died from COVID-19 in New York City. The city has confirmed more than 37,400 cases. A portion of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York, is set to transform into a 350-bed temporary hospital on Tuesday, the U.S. Tennis Authority (USTA) said, as the coronavirus outbreak strains resources in New York. A spokesman for the USTA said the conversion of an indoor tennis facility on the U.S. Open venue would begin Tuesday. The site is likely to be for non-COVID-19 patients. The USNS Comfort, a U.S. Navy hospital ship docked in New York City on Monday as the number of coronavirus-related deaths in the state reached 1,218. The 1,000-bed floating hospital docked at Pier 90 on Manhattan’s West Side and is set to begin treating patients Tuesday. The ship, staffed by 1,200 medical personnel, will not treat coronavirus patients but will take on other patients, freeing up beds at local hospitals focused on combating the pandemic. It will have 750 beds ready to treat patients immediately. Separately, the U.S. military said on Monday it was looking to send mortuary affairs personnel to New York as part of the U.S. government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. “We did receive a mission assignment from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for (a) mortuary affairs support team for New York and we’re in the process of sourcing some personnel,” a Joint Chiefs of Staff senior official stated. New York City has applied to the federal government for a second disaster relief morgue that is expected to be placed in Queens although the exact location isn’t known yet, a city official confirmed. FEMA also reported that it is sending refrigerator trucks to New York City to act as interim mortuaries for those who died from COVID-19. New York City has expanded its morgue capacity by about 75 percent in the past week.
The New York governor’s office said on Monday that 6,984 new cases have brought the state’s total to 66,497. More than 9,500 people have been hospitalized with more than 2,300 people under intensive care.
ARIZONA – The governor’s office ordered citizens to stay at home unless they have to be out for essential business. The new order goes into effect at 5:00 p.m. local time Tuesday.
OKLAHOMA – The governor’s office has issued a safer-at-home order for the vulnerable population of Oklahoma. With this order, all non-essential businesses in the City of Guymon are closed to the public.
INTERNATIONAL
On Monday, Italy’s government announced that existing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) lockdown measures would be extended until at least Easter. Italy’s health ministry did not specify the precise date on which the lockdown measures would expire but stated that the date would be included in new legislation; Easter Sunday is on April 12 this year. Under the lockdown measures, Italian authorities are requiring all individuals in the country to stay at home and to only leave their homes for essential purposes. Most shops, restaurants, and bars are closed. Public gatherings remain suspended nationwide. All individuals are advised to work from home and respect an interpersonal distance of 1 m (3 ft.). While Italian cities and towns throughout the country will lower their flags and hold a minute’s silence on Tuesday to commemorate the victims of coronavirus, according to the Italian mayors’ association. The Vatican said it would also join the tribute. “Today, in solidarity with Italy, the Holy See will raise their flags at half mast, mourning, to express their closeness to the victims of the pandemic in Italy and in the world, to their own families and those generously struggling to end it,” the Vatican said in a statement. As of March 31, over 102,000 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Italy, as well as over 11,600 associated deaths.
In Spain, the number of confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases recorded reached 87,956 as of Monday, March 30, overtaking China to claim the spot as the country with the third-highest number of confirmed COVID-19 infections (following the US and Italy). Over 7700 associated deaths have been recorded in Spain. Despite the rising number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and associated deaths, Spanish health officials have claimed that the rate of COVID-19-infection increase has dropped to 12 percent per day since the introduction of lockdown measures in recent days, compared to a daily rate of increase for COVID-19 infections of around 20 percent before the lockdown measures were implemented. Spain’s Congress approved extending a related state of emergency to Sunday, April 12, during an early morning (local time) vote on Thursday, March 26. Under the state of emergency, the government is granted exceptional powers to limit the free movement of people and vehicles, and ration goods and services, among other powers. Residents are to restrict all movement except for going to essential work, hospitals or health centers, and financial institutions, and shopping for groceries, pharmaceuticals, and other necessities. Nonessential workers have been instructed to stay home until at least Thursday, April 9. Schools, bars, restaurants, and most shops are closed. All social gatherings are banned, and police officers have been deployed to enforce the orders.
In the U.K., fifty MPs from multiple parties in the UK have asked for a compensation scheme for frontline workers during the coronavirus crisis. A letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson calls on the government to help the families of those “who die as a result of contracting Covid-19 while performing front-line duties”. “Just like members of the Armed Forces, they should know that if the worst happens, the state will help their families,” the letter reads. The scheme they are calling for would include a lump sum up front, a guaranteed income for the worker’s family and child payments to eligible children under 18. While police officers have been told to take a “consistent” approach when ensuring people comply with emergency measures aimed at curbing coronavirus. In transportation, British Airways announced it will suspend all flights to and from London’s Gatwick airport amid a collapse in demand due to the coronavirus.
It follows EasyJet’s suspension of flights after the government advised against all but essential travel. British Airways told staff it was facing a challenging market environment in “unprecedented circumstances”. Additionally on the education front, Families with children eligible for free school meals in England will be able to claim weekly shopping vouchers while schools are closed due to the coronavirus outbreak, say ministers. The scheme will allow schools to issue vouchers worth £15 a week per child. Around 1.3 million in children in England are entitled to free school meals and, until now, schools have been making their own arrangements. Schools will be able to continue to provide meals for collection or delivery themselves, but where this is not possible the voucher system will ensure children do not lose out. The U.K. has 22,454 cases with 1408 associated deaths at the time of this report.
Mexico’s government declared a health emergency on Monday, March 30, after the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the country exceeded 1000. Previously, authorities announced that the country will enter phase 2 out of 3 of its COVID-19 contingency plan due to local transmission of the virus. A suspension on all non-essential activities in the public and private sector will be extended until Thursday, April 30, as a precautionary measure. Additionally, events or meetings with more than 50 people will be prohibited. The government has advised for individuals over 60 years of age and those with pre-existing medical conditions to stop working and strictly observe stay-at-home measures. Schools remain suspended until Monday, April 20, to prevent further spread of the virus. Public events have also been prohibited from Monday, March 23, until Sunday, April 19. Bars, clubs, zoos, saunas, gyms, and cinemas have also been ordered to close in Mexico City. On Thursday, March 26, Jalisco Governor Enrique Alfaro Ramirez announced that Jalisco and seven other states including Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosi, Michoacán, Colima and Nayarit, will block flights from areas such as California with high rates of COVID-19. The land border between US and Mexico has been closed since 23:59 (local time) on Friday, March 20, until 23:59 (local time) on Monday, April 20. The closure will apply for recreational travel, while cargo, trade, and healthcare workers will still be allowed to cross the border. To date, authorities have confirmed 1094 cases of COVID-19 nationwide, including 28 fatalities.
In the UAE, restrictions to movement will be implemented in Dubai’s al-Ras beginning Wednesday, March 31, as authorities will send sanitation staff to facilitate disinfection procedures to curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). The stay-at-home restrictions will remain in place for two weeks. Those who do not reside in the area will not be permitted to travel there during this time. The Al Ras, Palm Deira, and Baniyas Square metro stations will be closed. Media reports indicate that the Dubai Health Authority will provide all essential goods and supplies for residents in the area during that period.
As of Monday, March 30, fines will go into effect nationwide for those that do not comply with stay-at-home orders designed to curb the COVID-19 spread. Those who leave their homes outside of curfew hours without legitimate or pre-approved reason will face fines of USD 544. Those violating the curfew, between 20:00 and 06:00 (local time), could be fined up to USD 13,600. These fines apply to the a nationwide curfew in place until Sunday, April 5, while a general sterilization campaign is held to control the spread of COVID-19. As such, all movement between 20:00 and 06:00 will remain restricted; public transportation will be suspended during curfew hours. Employees of certain sectors are exempt, including police, the army, and medical staff. Those found in violation of the curfew may be subject to fines. Following this period, measures implemented on Wednesday, March 25, closing commercial centers, malls, and open markets for two weeks, will likely resume. Restaurants were ordered to exclusively offer take-out services. In addition, all international flights will be suspended for the same period. As of March 30, there are 611 COVID-19 cases and three associated deaths.
In Indonesia, Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi announced that all arrivals and transits by foreign nationals in Indonesia will be banned to prevent further spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). However, foreigners with a limited stay permit card (Kitas), permanent stay permit card (Kitap), or other similar permits will still be allowed to enter Indonesia. Authorities added that the measures will be formalized as a regulation by the Ministry of Law and Human Rights. Earlier on Friday, March 20, the Indonesian government suspended all visa-free and visa-on-arrival arrangements for one month. President Joko Widodo announced on Monday, March 30, that the government is drafting a regulation to impose large scale social distancing, which will include the suspension of non-essential services as well as strict movement control orders. A state of emergency in Jakarta remains in place for two weeks as of Friday, March 20. From Monday, March 23, non-essential businesses such as bars, spas, and cinemas will be closed, and public transportation will be limited. Authorities have also urged companies to allow staff to work from home. As of Monday, March 30, the Ministry of Health has confirmed 1414 COVID-19 cases nationwide, with 122 fatalities.
In Australia, the daily growth rate of coronavirus cases has fallen so significantly that the federal Health Minister believes “we are now flattening the curve”.
Greg Hunt said the daily increase in cases had dropped from 25–30 per cent just over a week ago to 9 per cent this week. Experts say the slowing growth rate of COVID-19 shows the actions taken by the National Cabinet, and individual Australians, are working. Mr. Hunt said the physical-distancing measures being implemented by Australians were saving lives. But there was still a long way to go, he said. “Whilst we are making progress, and whilst we are now flattening the curve in the first early stages of progress, there’s more to do,” he said. “The new measures we have just put in place, we hope will deliver more benefit.”
But Victorian authorities are concerned about a jump in suspected community transmissions in that state, and have warned the virus could begin significantly spreading in the next few days. Australia has 4550 cases.
CDC recommends that travelers avoid all nonessential travel to the following destinations. Most foreign nationals who have been in one of these countries during the previous 14 days will not be allowed to enter the United States.
- China
- Iran
- Most European Countries
- United Kingdom and Ireland
- CDC recommends that travelers avoid all nonessential travel to all global destinations: Global Pandemic Notice
CDC recommends that older adults or those who have chronic medical conditions consider postponing travel to the following destinations: Global Outbreak Notice (Level 2 Travel Health Notice)
SEE BELOW FOR ALL LOUISIANA PARISH TOTALS AS OF 1200 HOURS 30 MARCH 2020
Orleans – 1,480 case(s) | 86 death(s)
Jefferson – 838 case(s) | 37 death(s)
Caddo – 222 case(s) | 5 death(s)
East Baton Rouge – 188 case(s) | 9 death(s)
St. Tammany – 186 case(s) | 4 death(s)
Ascension – 153 case(s) | 5 death(s)
Lafayette – 82 case(s) | 1 death(s)
St. John the Baptist – 75 case(s) | 8 death(s)
St. James – 65 case(s) | 3 death(s)
Bossier – 57 case(s) | 0 death(s)
St. Bernard – 53 case(s) | 2 death(s)
Lafourche – 51 case(s) | 2 death(s)
Ouachita – 44 case(s) | 1 death(s)
Rapides – 44 case(s) | 1 death(s)
Calcasieu – 42 case(s) | 1 death(s)
St. Charles – 36 case(s) | 3 death(s)
Terrebonne – 34 case(s) | 1 death(s)
De Soto – 28 case(s) | 1 death(s)
Iberville – 28 case(s) | 2 death(s)
Plaquemines – 22 case(s) | 2 death(s)
Washington – 22 case(s) | 1 death(s)
St. Martin – 20 case(s) | 3 death(s)
Iberia – 18 case(s) | 0 death(s)
Tangipahoa – 18 case(s) | 0 death(s)
Assumption – 17 case(s) | 0 death(s)
Livingston – 16 case(s) | 0 death(s)
St. Landry – 15 case(s) | 1 death(s)
Avoyelles – 14 case(s) | 0 death(s)
West Baton Rouge – 12 case(s) | 1 death(s)
Acadia – 11 case(s) | 1 death(s)
Allen – 11 case(s) | 0 death(s)
Webster – 11 case(s) | 1 death(s)
St. Mary – 10 case(s) | 0 death(s)
Union – 9 case(s) | 0 death(s)
East Feliciana – 8 case(s) | 0 death(s)
Evangeline – 8 case(s) | 0 death(s)
Lincoln – 8 case(s) | 0 death(s)
Beauregard – 5 case(s) | 0 death(s)
Bienville – 5 case(s) | 1 death(s)
Franklin – 5 case(s) | 0 death(s)
Claiborne – 4 case(s) | 0 death(s)
West Feliciana – 4 case(s) | 0 death(s)
Catahoula – 3 case(s) | 1 death(s)
Jefferson Davis – 3 case(s) | 0 death(s)
Vermilion – 3 case(s) | 1 death(s)
Vernon – 3 case(s) | 0 death(s)
Grant – 2 case(s) | 0 death(s)
Jackson – 2 case(s) | 0 death(s)
La Salle – 2 case(s) | 0 death(s)
Morehouse – 2 case(s) | 0 death(s)
Natchitoches – 2 case(s) | 0 death(s)
Pointe Coupee – 2 case(s) | 0 death(s)
Richland – 2 case(s) | 0 death(s)
Caldwell – 1 case(s) | 0 death(s)
East Carroll – 1 case(s) | 0 death(s)
Madison – 1 case(s) | 0 death(s)
Red River – 1 case(s) | 0 death(s)
Sabine – 1 case(s) | 0 death(s)
Winn – 1 case(s) | 0 death(s)
Cameron – 0 case(s) | 0 death(s)
Concordia – 0 case(s) | 0 death(s)
St. Helena – 0 case(s) | 0 death(s)
Tensas – 0 case(s) | 0 death(s)
West Carroll – 0 case(s) | 0 death(s)
BUREN R. (Ric) MOORE
GOHSEP Intelligence Officer
Louisiana State Analytical & Fusion Exchange (LA-SAFE) Liaison
Office: 225.925.3674
In the case of terrorism, to wait for an indication of crime before investigating it is to wait too long. There is no guarantee of success, but there has to be a guarantee of effort. Let’s make it hard to hurt us. If you see something suspicious, report it.
