| By Drew Broach | Deputy metro editor
UNLOCKED: Inside Louisiana’s hospitals, COVID-19 patients are dying in droves. Victims of strokes and heart attacks can’t find open beds. And the military is sending in reinforcements to back up weary doctors and nurses. Earlier in the pandemic, situations like this sparked a near-lockdown on public activity including capacity restrictions on businesses and events, widespread cancellations, broad adherence to mask mandates and the closure of schools. But this time, that's just not happening.
CHAMBERS MADE: The new Virgin Hotel New Orleans opened in the Central Business District on Wednesday, two weeks earlier than previously advertised and undeterred by a recent wave of event cancellations amid another surge of COVID-19 infections. The 13-floor hotel includes a rooftop swimming pool and lounge, bars, the Commons Club restaurant and 238 guest rooms, or "chambers" in the parlance of British billionaire Richard Branson's hotel chain.
SPECIAL K: Forget your Wheaties. Alvin Kamara, known for his gyroscopic on-field dodging, is bringing another type of balance - this time to your breakfast table. It's a Carnival-themed cerreal called Kamara's King Crunch.
You'll find these and other stories in the Front Page and on NOLA.com. Thanks for starting your day with us. D.B. | 
