NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA–After touring much of Louisiana, Governor John Bel Edwards took a tour of many of the facilities around the state designated to helping those affect by Hurricane Laura. The New Orleans Resource Center is at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Overall, New Orleans is hosting over ten thousand residents, who are taking refuge in the city’s 37 hotels designated.
Governor Edwards says, “it’s great to know that we are being good neighbors. There are almost no needs that are unmet here and we are going to be a while recovering. We are going to ask the federal government for more assistance.”
New Orleans Department of Health Director Dr. Jennifer Avegno has seen the Convention Center used many times this year in crisis and says, “it’s been quite a year hasn’t it. Whether its treating our COVID-19 patients in the medical monitoring station or giving clothes to those who only have the clothes on their backs. This space has really been a beacon.”
Part of the governor’s message was in warning that this Labor Day weekend could be paramount in the way the state will progress with coronavirus recovery phases. With hotels at capacity, 800 new COVID cases and 14 new deaths, the governor says, “as we move into Labor Day, I’m asking every Louisiana resident to please be very mindful that our last surge started during Memorial Day because there were too few people wearing masks.”
In regards to Hurricane Laura, evacuated residents have 30 days in their hotels and afterwards a new voucher program will go into effect with participating hotels. The governor hopes that families will get to stay in their current hotel rooms if the same 37 hotels take part in the voucher program.
The message of Governor John Bel Edwards is clear. Restoration will take time.
“The damage in southwest Louisiana is very much widespread. I’m talking about electricity and water. We have nursing homes and hospitals that had to be evacuated. So as difficult as it is, we are asking people to be patient.”
For up to date shelter information, residents that are evacuated should text “LA SHELTER” to 898-211.