Nine children under the age of 18 have died from COVID-19 in Louisiana amid a surge in the virus's Delta variant.
"Today, the Louisiana Department of Health sadly confirms another death of a child during the fourth surge of COVID-19 in the state," the Louisiana Department of Health said in a statement on Monday. "The Louisiana Department of Health today reports 39 deaths from COVID, including this child."
The statement noted that the child who died on Monday was between the ages of 12 and 17, but they did not provide any further information on the exact age of the deceased.
"This brings the total of pediatric deaths during this fourth surge to 9. In total, 18 children younger than 18 have died from COVID in Louisiana," the statement added.
Dr. Joseph Kanter, state health officer and medical director, said in the statement that "Since mid-July, we have mourned the loss of a child to COVID nine times."
"They say it takes a village to raise a child, but that village also has the responsibility of protecting its children," Kanter continued. "Masks and vaccines are the protection we have available to us, and we all must do our part."
In Louisiana, COVID-19 vaccines are available for all residents ages 12 and above.
According to data from the Louisiana Department of Health, since the start of the ongoing pandemic, the state has reported over 743,000 COVID-19 cases and just over 14,000 fatalities. Data from the state's health department also shows that from September 16 to 22, residents who are not fully vaccinated have accounted for 86 percent of all new COVID-19 cases and 81 percent of all new deaths.
Those who are not fully vaccinated have also accounted for 84 percent of all new COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state.
According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), since the middle of September, daily COVID-19 cases have declined in Louisiana and the state is currently averaging around 1,000 new daily cases.
CDC data also shows that Louisiana is one of the many states that have less than half of its population fully vaccinated against the novel coronavirus.
The American Academy of Pediatrics reported on September 30 that since the start of the pandemic, at least 5.9 million children have been infected with the virus.
"Over 173,000 cases were added the past week, with nearly 850,000 child cases added over the past 4 weeks," the American Academy of Pediatrics said in an update on September 30.
Newsweek reached out to the Louisiana Department of Health for further comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
