From April 2020, an overview look at part of the medical monitoring facility for recovering coronavirus patients inside the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. (Michael Isaac Stein/The Lens)

The state is retrofitting the Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Convention Center to house coronavirus patients who are still in recovery and need supervision, but don’t need to the acute care of a hospital setting. They’re calling it a “medical monitoring station,” and it will start accepting hospital referrals on Monday, April 6. The facility will not accept walk-in patients.

The goal of the facility is to get recovering patients out of the hospital quicker to make room for new patients who need more critical care. Earlier this week, The Lens broke down how the facility will work and how much it will cost.

At the same time, the United States Navy is setting up “personal housing units” across the street from the Convention Center to house people awaiting the results of a coronavirus test, and for some reason cannot quarantine at home.

On Saturday, media outlets were given access to both facilities.

The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is being commandeered by the state to help in the response to the coronavirus crisis. (Michael Isaac Stein/The Lens)
Norris Yarbrough (center) is the “incident commander” at the new Convention Center facility. (Michael Isaac Stein/The Lens)
A hall of “personal housing units” that the U.S. Navy is setting up to house people awaiting coronavirus testing results. (Michael Isaac Stein/The Lens)
Inside one of the personal housing units being set up by the U.S Navy. (Michael Isaac Stein/The Lens)
Television and desk inside one of the U.S. Navy personal housing units. (Michael Isaac Stein/The Lens)
Each “personal housing unit” set up by the U.S. Navy appears to have its own bathroom. (Michael Isaac Stein/The Lens)
A trailer belonging to the Louisiana Office of the Attorney General parked outside the Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Convention Center, which is being utilized as part of the state’s response to the coronavirus crisis. (Michael Isaac Stein/The Lens)
An overview look at part of the medical monitoring facility for recovering coronavirus patients inside the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. (Michael Isaac Stein/The Lens)
The air ducts in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center medical monitoring facility are to circulate air conditioning to each room.
A room at the new coronavirus medical monitoring facility at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. (Michael Isaac Stein/The Lens)
The “medical monitoring facility” within the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. (Michael Isaac Stein/The Lens)
An empty hall in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. (Michael Isaac Stein/The Lens)
Meghan Maslanka, the medical operations manager at the new coronavirus medical facility inside the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. (Michael Isaac Stein/The Lens)
A map of the layout of the medical monitoring facility being set up in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (Michael Isaac Stein/The Lens)
Workers clean the new coronavirus medical facility inside the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. (Michael Isaac Stein/The Lens)
A room at the new coronavirus medical monitoring facility at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. (Michael Isaac Stein/The Lens)
A room at the new coronavirus medical monitoring facility at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. (Michael Isaac Stein/The Lens)
A room at the new coronavirus medical monitoring facility at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. (Michael Isaac Stein/The Lens)
Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser spoke to the media at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on Saturday, April 4. (Michael Isaac Stein/The Lens)
Each room in the medical facility in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center comes equipped with a towel and a bag of supplies (Michael Isaac Stein/The Lens)
A list of supplies taped outside a room in the medical monitoring facility at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. (Michael Isaac Stein/The Lens)
Incident commander Norris Yarbrough (left) speaks with Public Information Officer Clayton Williams at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. (Michael Isaac Stein/The Lens)
Inside one of the rooms at the medical monitoring facility at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center .(Michael Isaac Stein/The Lens)
The company that built the new medical monitoring facility at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center didn’t forget to put up motivational posters outside patient rooms. (Michael Isaac Stein/The Lens)
A poster at the coronavirus medical facility at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center with a quote from former Democratic Presidential Primary Candidate Marianne Williamson. (Michael Isaac Stein/The Lens)
New Orleans Health Department Director Jennifer Avegno in a homemade protective mask. (Michael Isaac Stein/The Lens)
A sink outside a room at the new coronavirus medical monitoring facility at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. (Michael Isaac Stein/The Lens)
A chair in the corner of a patient room at the new coronavirus medical monitoring facility at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. (Michael Isaac Stein/The Lens)
Signs at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center for the new coronavirus medical monitoring facility. (Michael Isaac Stein/The Lens)

Michael Isaac Stein

Michael Isaac Stein covers New Orleans' cultural economy and local government for The Lens. Before joining the staff, he freelanced for The Lens as well as The Intercept, CityLab, The New Republic, and...