Mobile COVID-19 Testing in New Orleans

Mobile Covid-19 testing sites are being made available to residents of New Orleans over the coming weeks.

The mobile campaign, which is being conducted by LCMC Health, the New Orleans Health Department, and Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC), will bring walk-up testing to neighborhoods that have been heavily affected by COVID-19. The goal of the campaign is to identify early cases. The sites will be selected to provide testing outreach to communities that may have had limited access to drive-up testing. Results are expected to be online or delivered within two to three days.

Criteria:

• 18 years of age or older
• Recently exposed to COVID-19, or
• Recently had symptoms of the virus

See the link below to find all upcoming dates and locations where Mobile COVID-19 testing will be made available.
 
https://ready.nola.gov/mobile-testing/

The City of New Orleans is offering a weekly digest of key news items provided by the Mayor's Office of Communications and NOLA Ready as a way to remind residents of the actions, resources and other news they can use for reference, with a focus on the City's response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

News can also be found at ready.nola.gov/incident, or nola.gov/news. You can also sign up to receive news releases here.
[WATCH: April 9 news conference]

These are the week's top headlines, in reverse chronological order:

COVID-19 Unemployment Insurance Assistance is Available for Self-Employed (April 9)

The City of New Orleans Office of Workforce Development reminds residents that if they have filed for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits and were denied benefits by the State due to being self-employed or a 1099 employee and checked the box on the application that states "unemployed due to COVID-19," they are automatically placed on the pandemic unemployment assistance list to receive the $600 weekly.
Read more here.

RTA to Suspend Overnight Transit Service Hours Effective Sunday, April 12 (April 9)

On Sunday, April 12, the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority will suspend overnight service on most bus and streetcar routes between the hours of 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The service hour reductions are being implemented as the agency experiences a decrease in ridership overnight and as a continued effort to minimize risks of exposure to riders and operators.
Read more here.

Mayor's Office, New Orleans Health Department Partner with City Council on 'Sew Dat' for Cloth Face Coverings (April 9)

The New Orleans City Council has partnered with the Mayor's Office and the City's Department of Health to launch a centralized website for resources and donations for cloth face coverings called "SewDat."
Read more here.

City of New Orleans Department of Sanitation Issues Ordinance Reminders During COVID-19 Stay Home Mandate (April 9)

The City of New Orleans Department of Sanitation reminds residents and businesses in Orleans Parish to continue to adhere to City sanitation ordinances, particularly as we respond to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Read more here.

City of New Orleans Offers Guidelines for Coroners, Funeral Homes, Burials (April 7)

The City of New Orleans has shared a set of guidelines to aid in the management, preparation and burial of the deceased residents due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Read more here.

City Reminds Residents of Upcoming Recycling Drop-Off Event Day Cancellations (April 7)

The City Of New Orleans Department of Sanitation reminds residents of upcoming event cancellations at the Recycling Drop-Off Center, 2829 Elysian Fields Ave., due to the COVID-19 outbreak. 

The following Recycling Drop-Off Events have been cancelled: 

• This Saturday: April 11, 2020
• Saturday, April 25, 2020
• Saturday, May 9, 2020 (Household Materials Collection Day)

Read more here.

Chromebook Distribution & Free LYFT Rides To and From Food Distribution Sites Starting Today; OneApp Round 2 Now Open (April 6)

NOLA Public Schools (NOLA-PS) procured 10,000 Chromebooks and nearly 8,000 Wi-Fi hotspots in an effort to improved distanced learning for NOLA-PS students in need. NOLA-PS announced LYFT has donated $5,000 in free rides to and from Food Distribution Sites in Orleans Parish starting April 6. Round 2 of OneApp is now open. K-12 families still seeking a new school for next year who did not receive a match may participate in the second round of OneApp.
Read more here.

COVID-19 Medical Monitoring Station, Patient Housing Units to Open at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (April 6)

In preparation for the surge of COVID-19 cases and in an effort to lessen the strain on hospitals in the New Orleans region, the State of Louisiana has established a medical monitoring station in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, which will open to patients today. Walk-up admission is not accepted at either the medical monitoring station or the personal housing units. All patients will be transferred directly from Region 1 hospitals.
Convention Center Boulevard will be closed to traffic from Calliope to Henderson streets while the facilities are open.
Read more here.

To stay connected throughout the COVID-19 outbreak and receive key up-to-date information, residents are encouraged to do the following: 


NOLA Ready
Follow @nolaready on all social media platforms.
Text COVIDNOLA to 888777.


City of New Orleans
Follow Official accounts of @mayorcantrell or @CityofNOLA on all social media platforms.

City of New Orleans Department of Sanitation Issues Ordinance Reminders During COVID-19 Stay Home Mandate
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The City of New Orleans Department of Sanitation reminds residents and businesses in Orleans Parish to continue to adhere to City sanitation ordinances, particularly as we respond to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Reminders for residents and businesses are as follows:

Trash Collection

• Garbage must be placed curbside in containers with tight-fitting lids or in thick garbage bags that are properly secured in front of property locations.
• Persons are not to place residential or commercial garbage in public litter cans  
• Containers must not block vehicular or pedestrian rights of ways   .
• Containers must be removed from the public rights of way after collections and stored on the user’s property

This is especially important as related to any business which has suspended its operations. Garbage and recycling containers left curbside obstruct the public rights of way and are often used by persons passing by and result in overflows.

Only properties with four units or less are eligible for collection by the City. This does NOT include hotels, restaurants or bars or properties which generate more than 35 gallons of solid waste at each scheduled collection in the French Quarter/Downtown Development District (FQ/DDD) or more than 95 gallons at each twice a week collection, outside of the FQ/DDD.

Bulky Waste Collection
Only those residential properties that are eligible for garbage collection by the City are also eligible for bulky waste collection. Commercial properties and other residential properties must make private arrangements for the collection and disposal of bulky waste. For more information on proper disposal of and what constitutes bulky waste residents can visit the City’s Department of Sanitation page by clicking here or by calling 311 for more info.

Business Sanitation
Private arrangements must be made to store and contain debris from construction projects. Construction debris must not block the public rights of way. Permanent dumpsters must also be screened from public view. Items and liquids are not to be blown into or poured down storm drains. More information about proper business sanitation practices can be found on the City’s Department of Sanitation page by clicking here.

Neutral Grounds & Public Right of Ways                                                
Signs must not be placed on neutral grounds, utility poles, City facilities, bridges or between the sidewalk and the curb on public rights of way, unless specifically allowed under Section 134 of the City Code. And as a reminder residents and businesses should not litter. Property owners are responsible for the removal of garbage, trash, litter, grass cuttings or leaves on their premises, including the area extending 18 inches from the curb into the street.

Generally, summons or citations may be issued for sanitation violations. For more information, visit nola.gov/sanitation or call 311.

City of New Orleans Drive-Thru COVID-19 Testing 

In order to train staff members on new testing kits, the drive-thru COVID-19 testing site at UNO Lakefront Arena will open at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 9, instead of the usual 8 a.m. opening time. Testing will be open until 4 p.m. or until the maximum of 250 tests is met. Testing criteria remains the same: individuals 18 year of age or older who arrive in a motor vehicle and who are symptomatic (combination of a fever and cough or shortness of breath).

City of New Orleans Encourages Small Businesses to Use New Paycheck Protection Program Application

The Small Business Administration and the Department of Treasury have announced that they have initiated a mobilization effort of banks and other lending institutions to provide small businesses with the assistance they need. Small businesses and eligible nonprofit organizations, veterans organizations, and tribal businesses described in the Small Business Act, as well as individuals who are self-employed or are independent contractors, are eligible if they also meet program size standards.

For more detailed Paycheck Protection Program information, follow the links below through the City’s NOLA Ready site:

• Download a top-line overview of the program
• If you’re a lender, download more information
• If you’re a borrower, download more information
• Download the application for borrowers

Loan Terms & Conditions

• Eligible Entities: All businesses, including non-profits, veterans organizations, tribal concerns, sole proprietorships, self-employed individuals, and independent contractors, with 500 or fewer employees, or no greater than the number of employees set by the SBA as the size standard for certain industries
• Maximum loan amount up to $10 million
• Loan forgiveness if proceeds used for payroll costs and other designated business operating expenses in the 8 weeks following the date of loan origination (due to likely high subscription, it is anticipated that not more than 25% of the forgiven amount may be for non-payroll costs)
• All loans under this program will have the following identical features:
  • Interest rate of 1%
  • Maturity of 2 years
  • First payment deferred for six months
  • 100% guarantee by SBA
  • No collateral
  • No personal guarantees
  • No borrower or lender fees payable to SBA

Businesses are encouraged to visit the Small Business Administration's site to read more about the program or for assistance.

2020 Census
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The 2020 Census is here.. It's truly important that the government get an accurate count – many different funding projects depend on the numbers in various regions. Responses can be made online at my2020census.gov, over the phone, or through the mail.