Public Health Desk

Louisiana reported 2,229 new cases of COVID-19 on Nov. 19. Daily case numbers have begun to match those from July and August, when the state was experiencing its second outbreak, sparking concern from the medical and public health communities.

Public school students will continue learning in-person despite a city-wide spike in COVID-19 cases, New Orleans public school officials announced Thursday.

COVID-19 cases are “exponentially increasing,” according to the city’s dashboard. The number of NOLA-PS students and staff who have tested positive for the virus is at an all-time high since the district began publicly reporting cases back in September.

A video on the Facebook page for nonprofit anti-abortion organization Louisiana Right to Life starts with a pregnant Black woman receiving an ultrasound. The viewer hears, “Here I come world!” before seeing a newborn Black baby girl. The video shows a time-lapse of the girl as she goes from toddler to student to working adult before heading back into a medical facility where a doctor says, “Let’s begin the procedure.” The graphic of a beeping heart monitor appears on screen. The beeping stops. “Life offers endless possibilities. Abortion offers none,” can be seen and heard. “Another Black baby dead,” is implied.

New Orleans’ COVID-19 percent positivity rate jumped from just above 1 percent last week to 2.2 percent this week — or an average of around 60 cases per day. That’s got New Orleans Health Director Jennifer Avegno worried.