Hospitals in New Orleans are bracing for public health emergencies on two fronts as Hurricane Ida threatens to strike at the same time as Louisiana is experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases.
Health care systems across New Orleans are already putting contingency plans in place, including beefing up staffing, ordering a surplus of supplies and minimizing the amount of patients who are admitted to hospitals with non-emergencies.
At LCMC Health, the hospital will enter a “code gray lockdown” early Sunday morning and bring in additional staff to care for patients. Staff and patients will shelter in place but have not been ordered to evacuate yet, said Dr. Jeffrey Elder, medical director for emergency management.
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