city government

COVID-19 updates: Restrictions tightened, where to find resources

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Monday saw the city’s third death of the coronavirus, an 84-year-old resident of the Lambeth House retirement home Uptown, and aggressive measures  on the state and city level to prevent the spread of the disease. Louisiana is among country’s highest per capita rates of COVID-19 infection, with 136 cases as of Tuesday morning, and New Orleans is the epicenter, with 94 presumptive positive cases. On Monday afternoon, following a conference call with the White House, Gov. John Bel Edwards ordered all bars, movie theaters and casinos closed and banned on-site eating in restaurants, restricting them to take-out, drive-through and delivery orders only. The proclamation also limited all gatherings to no more than 50 people. The legislative session is suspended until at least March 31. The restrictions take effect today and will be re-evaluated on April 6.

colleges

View from Tulane: Why are we still going out?

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By Julia Prager-Hessel, guest columnist

Students, faculty, and staff at Tulane received an email last Wednesday that said classes will cease or go online, and those living on campus are to leave in the next week and a half. However fracturing to our semesters, this move came as no surprise and with little resentment from students. Tulane is largely a flight school that draws many of its students from Los Angeles, New York and Chicago, and our friends at schools across the country had been sent home throughout the week. There is also a sense of gratefulness on campus — our university is offering emergency housing and food, and most of us have the opportunity to go home if it becomes suddenly necessary. Students recognize that we are in a beautiful city that is not being hit as hard as many other metropolises in the United States — metropolises that many Tulanians come from.

city government

COVID-19 updates: Drive-thru testing, closures, rules for bars and restaurants, how to help

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Here’s the latest from the city on the quickly changing coronavirus situation in New Orleans. If you’d like to help, here’s the city’s advice on how to donate and volunteer. From the Mayor’s Office
Mayor LaToya Cantrell on Sunday outlined several actions the city of New Orleans is taking in coordination with local, state and federal partners in its continued response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Mayor Cantrell also continued to insist that residents practice safe behaviors such as social distancing and avoiding large gatherings like the ones that were shut down Saturday by the New Orleans Police Department. “This is a crisis.

events

Police break up St. Patrick’s Day party on Magazine to reduce risk of coronavirus

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By Sharon Lurye, Uptown Messenger

Police cars arrived at Tracey’s Bar on Magazine Street on Saturday to break up a crowd of more than 250 people participating in a St. Patrick’s Day bar crawl, in violation of a ban on large crowds that Gov. John Bel Edwards announced through an executive order on Friday. The size of the crowd spurred some public shaming from Mayor LaToya Cantrell on social media. “The crowd exceeded 250 people and spilled into the streets. They were dispersed without incident,” said an New Orleans Police Department spokesperson.

health

Lambeth House conducting on-site testing as eight residents are treated for COVID-19

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Eight residents of the Lambeth House Retirement Community at the foot of Broadway have confirmed cases of cornonavirus, Lambeth CEO D. Scott Crabtree told state Rep. Aimee Adatto Freeman, District 98, in a letter she emailed to constituents. Five are hospitalized, and three are in quarantine at the facility, Crabtree said. The patients are reported to be in their 80s and 90s. Two officials from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been at the site since Thursday to assist in the response, and testing has begun at the facility. Below is the information supplied by Crabtree at Freeman’s request:

Lambeth House administrators began educating residents and staff members regarding the potential risks associated with COVID-19, as well as how to protect themselves and their family members prior to any report of possible exposure at the complex.

health

Girls on the Run seeking volunteer coaches for spring

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Girls on the Run New Orleans is looking for volunteer coaches that can inspire girls to recognize their inner strength. The activity-based nonprofit has coaches lead small teams through dynamic discussions, activities, and running games for girls in grades 3rd through 8th grade. The program is 10 weeks long, and girls come to develop skills that help them establish an appreciation for health and fitness. Each season ends with a service project and 5K event, which are tangible forms of achievement. All coaches are trained for their respective positions.

colleges

Tampon Tax Protest Tour makes stop at Tulane

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To combat the taxing of menstrual products, the national Tampon Tax Protest Tour for menstrual equity will make its New Orleans stop on Tulane University’s campus today (Nov. 22). “Recognizing that taxes on menstrual products are discriminatory and illegal,” organizers said, “New Orleans will be part of a collective action against taxing these products, which, along with diapers, are currently taxed by the State of Louisiana.” The protest is part of a national effort called Tax Free. Period, organized by LOLA, a “lifelong brand for a woman’s body,” and Period Equity, a law and policy organization fighting for menstrual equity.

arts, books and music

Uptown resident describes an artful journey through cancer in ‘No More, No Less’

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By Emily Carmichael, Uptown Messenger

Among the Terrance Osbourne and Gustave Blanche III paintings that hang on the walls of Richard Colton Jr.’s home, there are a few empty hooks. The art that typically occupies the conspicuously blank spaces reveals some of the most intimate details of Colton’s life, and, this weekend, will be on public display. The paintings will hang in the Sacred Heart Academy auditorium that bears Colton’s name as he celebrates the release of his memoir, “No More. No Less.” The book tells the story of Colton’s nearly 20-year battle with squamous cell carcinoma and the unique path to he took to recovery. Like many, he did the chemotherapy and radiation, and, like many, he had surgery, four of them in fact, including one that removed part of his jaw and face.

business

NOLA Vegan Café: Former social worker brings plant-based cuisine to Leonidas

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At the corner of Leonidas and Spruce sits the Community Commitment Education Center, a public space for neighborhood engagement, summer programs for children, and now a plant-based restaurant. Formerly Stella’s Coffee House, the kitchen space at 1923 Leonidas St. is now officially home to NOLA Vegan Café, which opens today, Oct. 1. The café is the work of Uptown’s Sonya Brown, a social worker and chef known for her vegan popups.

business

City launches affordable health care initiative for hospitality workers

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Mayor LaToya Cantrell and the New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation (NOTMC), in partnership with 504HealthNet, have launched a program to provide New Orleans hospitality workers access to high-quality, affordable health care at over 50 sites around the city. The new Healthy Hospitality Initiative debuted on Tuesday, August 6, after tourism and health care agencies collaborated with hospitality workers over the past year to ensure the program addresses their needs. The initiative includes a new website, extended clinic hours, and a dedicated team that works directly with the city’s hospitality workers. There are 17 participating health care organizations, operating 58 clinic sites, and one hospital system with five sites that are a part of this initiative. Here are the Healthy Hospitality Initiative sites in the Uptown area:

Daughters of Charity (Carrollton)
3201 South Carrollton Ave.