New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and his wife, Brittany, have pledged $5 million to the state of Louisiana as it fights the coronavirus pandemic.
The athlete is also leveraging his relationships with several companies “to prepare and deliver over 10,000 meals per day throughout Louisiana for as long as it takes to children on meal programs, seniors, and families in need.”
“Let’s all do our part, maintain hope, and get through this together,” he wrote in a post published Thursday on Instagram.
As the virus, COVID-19, continues to spread throughout the country, New Orleans is emerging as the latest U.S.-based hotspot for the pandemic.
In Louisiana, there are now more than 2,300 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, and nearly 1,000 of them are in New Orleans. At least 83 people have died from the virus.
Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) said Tuesday, “It is still impossible to know exactly how long the COVID-19 pandemic will impact Louisiana, but what we do know is that we have more cases per capita than ever state, except New York and Washington.”
According to Dr. Joshua Denson, a pulmonary and critical care physician at Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans, the rapid spread of the infection in Louisiana likely came from Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans.
“Someone brought it here,” he explained, “and then it starts spreading slowly.”
Earlier this month, Saints head coach Sean Payton revealed he had been diagnosed with COVID-19. In a tweet, he said he has experienced only mild symptoms and has not experienced any respiratory distress.