New Orleans is an epicenter of coronavirus. Mardi Gras could be to blame, doctors say. [View all]

So a whole lot of folks go to Mardi Gras.

New Orleans is an epicenter of coronavirus. Mardi Gras could be to blame, doctors say.
As of Tuesday afternoon, New Orleans had 567 of Louisiana's 1,388 cases of coronavirus and 20 of the state's 46 deaths.
March 24, 2020, 5:11 PM EDT
By Elisha Fieldstadt


Health experts say it's no surprise that New Orleans is the epicenter of the coronavirus crisis in hard-hit Louisiana, after over a million people flocked to the city to celebrate Carnival for more than a month, culminating in Mardi Gras at the end of February.

Gov. John Bel Edwards on Tuesday requested a Major Disaster Declaration for the state as the number of cases rose to 1,388 cases in 43 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes, according to the state's health department.

At least 46 people have died.