Louisiana expanded vaccine eligibility to essential workers ages 16 and up on Monday (March 22). This includes grocery store workers, food service employees, restaurant workers, and government frontline workers, WBRZ reports.
"Those individuals have carried our state during these trying times and we want to make sure they do, in fact, get the vaccine," Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a recent press conference.
According to the Louisiana Department of Health, more than 1 million Louisianans have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine. Newly-eligible residents also include workers in higher education, postal workers, bank tellers, transportation workers, clergy, media workers, veterinarians, construction workers, and more. A full list can be found here.
According to Gov. Edwards, this may be the last expansion of vaccine eligibility before the state opens appointments to all residents ages 16 and older, which he says should happen in April. Earlier this month, President Joe Biden announced that all Americans will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine by May 1, a deadline that states, such as Louisiana, are attempting to meet.
On Monday, Louisiana reported an additional 42 deaths from COVID-19, surpassing 10,000 total since the start of the pandemic.
"Today is a grim milestone for our state as more than 10,000 Louisianans have now died from COVID-19, marking a year of sadness and loss," said Edwards. "So many people are missing their loved ones and we must pray for them and do everything we can to prevent further spread of the virus."
Visit the state's COVID-19 website here to see if you are eligible or to find where you can get vaccinated.
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