COVID RATES TRENDING YOUNGER - Although more people are getting vaccinated in Louisiana, the is still among the lowest in vaccination participation. And the state is having a surge in cases and hospitalizations. Louisiana hospitals are experiencing more Covid-related emergency room visits – During a press conference last Friday Dr. Joseph Kanter with the Louisiana Department of Health explained the situation.
"It is not an overexagerration to say it is as bad now as it has been at any point in the pandemic and what's scarier than that is that the trajectory really has not yet shown any signs of slowing," Kanter said.
The Louisiana Department of Health reports more than 11 percent of all emergency rooms visits involved people with COVID symptoms and some 40 hospitals have now asked the state for help with staffing during the latest surge. The reports show there are 349 covid cases per 100,000 people once again making Louisiana number 1 in per-capita for Covid infections. Dr. Kanter also revealed that a growing number of cases involve younger people.
"And the number one age group in terms of new cases 18-29 year olds, followed second by people under the age of 18." Dr. Joseph Kanter, State Health Officer and Medical Director/Louisiana Department of Health
"We are seeing more children sick with Covid now with Delta than we have at any other point in this pandemic," Kanter explained. "And the number one age group in terms of new cases 18-29 year olds, followed second by people under the age of 18."
Currently there is no vaccine approved for children ages 12 and younger. A new school year is about to begin and so far Governor John Bel Edwards has left it up to local school systems to choose what mitigation measures they see fit with the exception of the federal mask mandate on school buses. But things may change later today as the Democratic Governor will hold a press conference this afternoon as he is expected to address the possibility of a statewide mask mandate.
