New Orleans, Louisiana was an unlikely COVID-19 hot zone.

Until you consider its annual party for the world, Mardi Gras, brought hundreds of thousands to the city just as the pandemic gripped the United States. 

Exactly two weeks after the end of Mardi Gras, physicians in the city say it was like a bomb went off. Suddenly, hospitals were overburdened. New Orleans as well as the state of Louisiana were thrust into crisis mode. 

In the aftermath – parades, public parties, and festivals were canceled for the rest of the year by the city’s mayor.

A potentially crippling blow to a city built on the service industry.

New Orleans is a city with so much social capital, but it has now found itself broken. No swagger.. no songs.. no celebrations.

For the first time in a long time, the city is looking disaster in the face, wondering when its carefree days will return.