COVID-19

Starting Monday, schools will be closed all across the state, public gatherings will be limited, and city government operations will be restricted. Residential evictions have been suspended. Non-essential visitation is limited at hospitals, nursing homes, state prisons and parish jails. Jury trials are suspended.

All public schools in Louisiana will be closed starting Monday, March 16. Governor John Bel Edwards signed the proclamation Friday afternoon.

The decision comes as the nation scrambles to stop the spread of coronavirus. Conventions and festivals have been cancelled locally and nationally.

As coronavirus spread around the world and the number of cases in New Orleans, Louisiana and the United States rises, there are a lot of pressing questions on our minds.

The situation is rapidly evolving, but for now, the guidance from health officials remains fairly steady, if sometimes vague. Even the experts still don't have all the answers.

We'll update this FAQ as we learn more. If you have a question you'd like answered, send it to tips@wwno.org.

As of Friday, March 13, all public schools in Louisiana have been closed for one month. More information can be found here.

The spread of coronavirus and the number of known COVID-19 cases are ramping up — just as New Orleans enters tourism season. 

This, of course, leaves everyone with a lot of questions about what's canceled, what's safe, what happens to local businesses and what happens to the city's economy. We'll answer those questions here.

Oil prices crashed earlier this week following Saudi Arabia’s decision to ramp up production amid lagging demand as a result of the coronavirus.

David Dismukes, the Director of Louisiana State University’s Center for Energy Studies, talked with New Orleans Public Radio about the impacts of the oil crisis on Louisiana’s energy sector.