NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Soaring hospitalizations of mostly unvaccinated COVID-19 patients are putting medical staffs in Louisiana under stress for a fourth time, as state officials continue the plea for people to get the shots that can prevent the disease.

Hospitalizations were nearing the 1,000 mark Friday as Gov. John Bel Edwards prepared to talk about the latest surge and the need for vaccinations at a Friday afternoon news conference.

Louisiana has among the nation’s lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates.

“Our staff is feeling stretched. Our staff is also as you can imagine disheartened that we are going through this not one, two, three, but four times,” said Dr. Katherine Baumgarten, Medical Director of Infection Prevention for the 40-hospital Ochsner Health system. “This time it is even harder because we know that this is largely preventable.”

In New Orleans, Mayor LaToya Cantrell issued an advisory this week “strongly recommending” that people wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status, to avoid spreading the disease.

But it was unclear how many would take the advice. Many were going without masks Thursday in the French Quarter.

At Rendezvous Linen and Lace, store owner Kichin Mirpuri was unmasked.

“I’m vaccinated. And I keep clean all the time,” he said.