As COVID-19 takes a toll on our mental health a Clinical Psychologist from LSU Health New Orleans offers some coping skills.
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A housing crisis may be coming in the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jeff Palermo has the story.
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The escalating number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Louisiana has led Governor Edwards to request a federal disaster declaration for the state, just as the President indicates he wants the country to go back to work by Easter…
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Louisiana residents are prepared for hunkering down for flooding and hurricanes, but staying at home through April 13th can still feel like a daunting tasking to prepare for. LSU AgCenter registered dietitian Sandra May says it is important to stock with nonperishables, but also ingredients to make things you may run out of.
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While it’s a good idea to have some snacks, May says it’s important not to go crazy with junk food.
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May says it is vital to have a balanced diet making up the supplies in an effort to keep the immune system at peak performance.
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COVID-19 is also having an impact mental health as we try to cope with stress and anxiety from the pandemic. Clinical Psychologist Dr. Michelle Moore with LSU Health New Orleans says whenever we are told to do something out of the norm we can react with a greater degree of anxiety or depression.
Moore says don’t ignore a change in behavior and seek professional help if you have trouble coping on your own. She offers some suggestions on how to cope with the current crisis.
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She also suggests using your phone as we social distance and to stay in contact with family and friends. Moore says focusing on the positive in your life daily and keeping a gratitude diary and can help during the pandemic.
A majority of workers in the state are working from home and some find themselves unemployed and/or caring for children at home now as schools are closed. Moore says as we undergo huge life changes, we must learn to be flexible during this uncertain time.
If you feel you need counseling, you can call the Louisiana Department of Health’s Keeping Calm Through COVID Hotline at 1-888-310-7977
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Evictions and foreclosures may be on hold in Louisiana due to the shutdown of courts, but that situation doesn’t get tenants off the hook when it comes to paying rent or a mortgage. Spokesperson for the Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center Maxwell Ciardullo says the future seems dire without housing assistance from the federal relief bill being negotiated.
Statewide, courts are closed until at least April 13th.
Ciardullo says focus needs to also be put on getting the homeless of the streets and in a public health emergency, stable housing is one of the best defenses.
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Ciardullo expects that tenants could owe as much as double the rent money when the courts reopen, and with many workers being without a paycheck that’s going to cause an issue. Ciardullo hopes landlords will work with tenants.
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Governor John Bel Edwards requests a major disaster declaration for Louisiana from the feds, citing numbers showing the state has the third highest number of COVID-19 cases per capita.
Edwards says new projections indicate the New Orleans area will run out of healthcare capacity by April 4th, and…
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The number of cases in the state sits at 1,388 with 46 deaths. There are 271 patients in hospital beds with confirmed cases and another 981 in beds who are awaiting results.
President Trump has indicated he wants to get Americans out of their homes and working again by Easter, but Edwards says the only timelines he will follow are those given by the medical community.
Louisiana has spent 71 million dollars so far on direct COVID-19 responses.
Edwards reiterated his calls for “flattening the curve”, and says he’s encouraged by how serious the public has taken his call to stay home and limit interpersonal contact…