BATON ROUGE - The state has reported more than a dozen instances of severe illness or death among pregnant women attributed to the coronavirus since mid-July.

On Tuesday the state reported 14 "severe pregnancy outcomes" tied to the state's fourth surge of the coronavirus. Among those cases, the Louisiana Department of Health reported six maternal deaths and 10 fetal deaths. 

“More COVID-19-related maternal and fetal deaths have been reported during the Delta surge than the total number of COVID-19 severe pregnancy outcomes reported during the previous 15 months of the pandemic in Louisiana. It’s a tragic reminder of the vulnerability of pregnant individuals and their children to this highly contagious illness,” State Health Officer Dr. Joseph Kanter said. “Babies rely upon us and their parents for protection. We must do everything we can, including getting the COVID vaccine, to ensure safe and healthy birth outcomes.”

The state said all 14 cases involved mothers who were unvaccinated.