LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) The rising spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant is causing concern as the state’s vaccination numbers fade.

“Once Delta gets into a community, within a handful of weeks, it becomes 80% to 90% of the variant we find,” Dr. Hebert explains.

According to local health officials, the Delta variant appears more transmissible than the initial Alpha variant.

With the Delta variant spreading Dr. Britni Hebert tells News Ten people are more likely to be hospitalized.

“We are already seeing Delta have its affect. It will get stronger and faster,” adds Dr. Hebert.

Louisiana remains one of the lowest vaccinated state with only 35% of Louisianans fully vaccinated.

The Department of Health reports 12-29 years old only make up about 14% of the population vaccinated.

Dr. Hebert says, “The people we are seeing get affected with this variant are the younger people.”

For Dr. Hebert that causes room for concern.

She says as a state, as a community, we can’t afford to go back.

She says we have to move forward and fight our way through COVID-19.

Dr. Hebert continues, “We don’t have room for COVID. We have zero room. When COVID grows, it continues to grow.”