A child under the age of 1 has died of COVID-19, the Louisiana Department of Health confirmed on Wednesday.
The death marks the 11th person younger than 18 to die from the virus in Louisiana, state data shows.
“Each COVID-19 death in Louisiana has been heart wrenching, but the loss of such a young child, who could not be vaccinated yet, is tragic and a stark reminder of the difficult circumstance we are in throughout Louisiana,” Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a statement. “Right now, we are seeing younger people hospitalized. They are getting sicker than in the previous surge and, unfortunately some of them may die.”
The child’s death comes as the Pelican State is experiencing a rapid rise in coronavirus cases driven in large part by the highly contagious delta variant.
Louisiana reported more than 6,660 new COVID-19 cases and 110 new deaths on Wednesday, according to state health officials. Roughly 31% of newly reported cases in Louisiana were in children younger than 18,
“This news is heartbreaking,” State Health Officer Dr. Joseph Kanter said, according to The Advocate. “The best way we can protect ourselves, our loved ones and young children who are not eligible to get the vaccine is to get vaccinated ourselves and wear a mask. It’s really that simple.”
As of Wednesday, more than 1.8 million Louisianans eligible to get the vaccine have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
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