Louisiana State University has begun the process of ejecting dozens of students for not following COVID-19 vaccination rules, according to a spokesman.

LSU spokesman Ernie Ballard said Wednesday that the university is contacting 78 students to let them know they are being unenrolled for not following the COVID-19 vaccination requirements, WAFB-TV reported.

In August, LSU President William Tate said students would have to show proof of their first vaccine dose by Sept. 10 and show proof of full vaccination by Oct. 15.

Statewide, low vaccination rates and the highly contagious delta variant have been blamed for a fourth surge of COVID-19 that has stressed hospitals around the state. Figures released Thursday show hospitalizations continue to drop from last month’s peak of more than 3,000. COVID-19 Hospitalizations totaled 1,431 in Thursday’s figures. Department statistics show declines in almost every region of the state.

About 44% of the state’s population is fully vaccinated, according to Thursday’s figures, which show that barely half of the population has had one shot of COVID-19 vaccine.

The state reported 1,663 new confirmed or probable cases of the disease Thursday, and 48 newly reported deaths attributed to the disease, bringing the Louisiana COVID-19 death toll to 13,366.