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New Orleans Is Outpacing Other COVID-19 Hotspots In Rate Of Cases Per Capita

Ashley Dean
/
WWNO
Downtown New Orleans as seen from Crescent Park. March 19, 2020.

New Orleans is emerging as the next major hotspot for COVID-19.

A breakdown of known coronavirus cases at the county level appears to show Orleans Parish — home to New Orleans — far outpacing other jurisdictions in COVID-19 rate per capita in the U.S.  

Credit Patrick Madden / WWNO
/
WWNO
Numbers last updated at 10 a.m. CST March 19, 2020.

The New Orleans Public Radio analysis looked at the latest available statistics for some of the counties with the most coronavirus cases. While most of the national attention has focused on Washington’s King County and New York City, these grim figures show why Louisiana’s Governor John Bel Edwards is warning residents to expect a surge in new cases.

“I want people to be prepared for this,” said Edwards at a press conference Wednesday. “It is going to get much worse before it gets better.”

Patrick Madden joined WWNO in 2019 as its first-ever Regional News Director, overseeing news reporting at WWNO, as well as our partner station WRKF Baton Rouge. Madden also serves as one of the hosts of Louisiana Considered, and co-hosts Friday's Politics Roundtable on Louisiana Considered with Stephanie Grace, columnist for The Times-Picayune | The Advocate.

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