New Orleans streets silent as city braces for a spike in cases

Drone video over New Orleans, Louisiana, on Friday showed deserted streets in neighborhoods usually bustling with tourists and revelers.

New Orleans, where large crowds celebrated Mardi Gras a month ago, was on track to become the next U.S. epicenter, as Louisiana's Gulf Coast metropolis recorded the world's highest growth rate in coronavirus cases.

The plight of New Orleans - with the world's highest growth rate in coronavirus cases - also raises fears that the city may become a powerful catalyst in spreading the virus across the south of the country.

Authorities have warned the number of cases in New Orleans could overwhelm its hospitals by April 4.