New Orleans hospital marks 10,000th COVID-19 recovery with jazz band dispatch

NEW ORLEANS – A Louisiana hospital celebrated the recovery of a COVID-19 patient in a very New Orleans way: a performance send-off by a jazz band.

The patient, 72-year-old Miriam Bertrand, was the Ochsner Medical Center’s 10,000th successful recovery from the virus at its facilities. It was also the first anniversary of hospitalization for coronavirus patients.

Bertrand, a resident of Kenner, Louisiana, received a jubilant send-off from the band and staff on Monday as she was discharged from the medical center in suburban New Orleans.

Bertrand had been admitted to the hospital on March 4 after suffering from shortness of breath, fever and fatigue, according to Ochsner Health, which operates the Uptown New Orleans Medical Center.

The facility shared a video of the sweet moment when she was finally released.

“Ms. Bertrand is doing well and was cheered on by doctors, nurses and a group as she left the hospital to return home to her family,” Ochsner Health wrote in a Facebook post.

The medical center also held a moment of silence this week to mark the one-year anniversary of Louisiana’s first confirmed COVID-19 case, which was reported March 9, 2020, in Jefferson Parish, according to local reports.

The surrounding New Orleans area has faced numerous coronavirus-related restrictions during the pandemic. More recently, canceled parades, closed bars and a near-shutdown of Bourbon Street have led to a very low-key Mardi Gras season.

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The city began easing some of its COVID-19 restrictions this week, entering a “modified phase 3,” but still remains stricter than the rest of the state. Residents will not be able to sit in a bar to drink without ordering food, although standing or congregating around a bar remains prohibited, according to WWLTV.

Live music is also allowed inside, but capacity must be reduced by 75% to 50% if someone is singing or playing a wind instrument – and all patrons must be seated, reports WWLTV.

Louisiana has reported nearly 435,000 COVID-19 cases and more than 9,700 virus deaths since the outbreak began, according to data from its health department.

This story was reported from Cincinnati.