tate leaders are very concerned with hospital capacity in the New Orleans area during the novel coronavirus outbreak that is being seen across the state.

At a Thursday afternoon press conference, Governor John Bel Edwards compared the increase of Louisiana cases to that of Italy which rapidly saw cases increase, overwhelming that country’s hospital system.

Numbers provided by the Louisiana Department of Health show why the concern is so great in the New Orleans area. Region 1 of the state health department which is comprised of Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard and Plaquemines Parishes has 4,308 beds. The state says just 33 percent of those are available as of March 19. Also as of that date, the four parishes reported nearly 300 positive cases of Coronavirus. The state also reports this region has 407 ventilators.

“We were able to determine that under a -- basically a worst-case scenario -- the Coronavirus spread and its impact could begin to outpace our healthcare capacity in a certain region, down in Orleans, Jefferson within about seven to ten days without additional support from the federal government," Gov. Edwards said.

Region 9 includes St. Tammany, Washington and Tangipahoa Parishes and has 2,194 hospital beds, of which more than fifty percent were available on March 19.

The health department’s Region 3 encompasses St. Charles, St. John, St. James, Lafourche and Terrebonne Parishes. That region has the fewest beds in the state at 1,001, but as of March 19, 47 percent of those beds were available.