Hammond Police are asking for prayers for one of their veteran officers who they say is waging a battle with a severe case of COVID.

The police department posted on its Facebook page that 12-year veteran Carlos Hidalgo is on a ventilator at a Northshore hospital.

Police said that Hidalgo was feeling ill due to COVID and his health took a turn for the worse early Thursday when his oxygen levels dropped.

“Officer Hidalgo is in for a fight and prayers are requested, needed, and appreciated,” according to the post.

A prayer vigil is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 9 at 5:30 p.m. in the parking lot of North Oaks Hospital.

COVID continues to surge in the State of Louisiana, though deaths and those placed on ventilators have not jumped as precipitously as the number of cases.

Omicron is the current COVID variant with the most cases in the state, but there are still cases of the Delta variant, which is considered more severe. Omicron is considered to be extremely transmissible, but so far has not caused as many severe illnesses overall.

On Friday, the state reported another record with over 14,000 cases. There were 16 reported deaths attributed to COVID and there were 68 patients on ventilators, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.

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