Good news: First coronavirus vaccines given in Ky.; plan to re-open schools is announced; state saw a drop in cases last week
By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News
State Department for Public Health graph, relabeled by Kentucky Health News; click it to enlarge |
“No question, just like March and April, just like in July, taking these steps has made a difference, at least slowing if not plateauing the growth,” Beshear said, noting his initial lockdown and his mask mandate. “And we hope we will continue to see a decline.”
“If there is ever a group of people that I trust more than anyone to create and implement mitigation strategies with fidelity to protect our kids, it is certainly our educators. And I know Governor Beshear shares the same trust that I have with them,” she said. “But here’s the thing: They can’t do it alone. It takes every one of us doing the right thing to help our kids experience the consistency of classroom [learning] again. Even the best mitigation strategies in large congregate populations, like our schools, cannot overcome the most self-serving behaviors.”
Implicitly appealing to those with pandemic fatigue, she said, “We are almost there. Make sure that you mask up and do everything that you need to do to help get our kids back in school and help them to stay there.”
State Department for Public Health map, relabeled by Ky. Health News; click on it to enlarge. |
The first person vaccinated was Dr. Jason Smith, chief medical officer at University of Louisville Health, who said he hopes others will follow suit as it becomes available, the Courier Journal reports. “I fully believe this is a safe and effective vaccine,” he said. “I volunteered to go first because of that.”
Beshear watched as Smith, two nurses and two other doctors prepared to get the vaccine that had arrived at the hospital in a UPS truck about an hour before, at 9:40 a.m. “Today for the very first time we are vaccinating Kentuckians against this virus,” he said. “This is truly a great day in the commonwealth.”
Medical Center President and CEO Connie M. Smith said in the release, “We have seen firsthand the impact of this devastating virus on our patients, physicians and health care workers, as well as the community. Now is not the time to let our guard down. While the arrival of the vaccine is a game-changer in the fight against this pandemic, we recognize that the delivery of subsequent vaccines for the general public will take time over several months. We all must continue to wear a mask, practice proper hygiene and keep socially distant. Let’s finish this together!”
The governor said CVS and Walgreens, which have federal contracts to vaccinate nursing-home residents and staff, are expected to start those shots Monday. He said the goal is to immunize all long-term care residents by the end of February.
“We know that victory is in sight,” said Beshear. “And if we are smart and we work hard between now and when we can get everyone vaccinated and we don’t do rash things like eliminate protections we have in place, we can save so many lives because everyone lost between now and when we get everyone vaccinated is an avoidable loss.”
William Orban Manns |
Beshear honored the life of William Orban Manns of Mount Sterling, who died at 65 from Covid-19 on Nov. 25. Beshear said Manns and his entire family were tested in preparation for his daughter Pamela’s upcoming procedure and that they all tested positive. She told Beshear they were shocked that they had the virus, because they did everything right: lived on the same property, quarantined together, always wore masks and only left home for the occasional errand or grocery run. In addition to his daughter, Manns is survived by his wife — who was also hospitalized with Covid-19, but is now home — a son-in-law, and three grandchildren.
- The 17 additional Covid-19 fatalities were a 74-year-old man from Bath County; a 92-year-old Calloway County woman; a 92-year-old woman and an 81-year-old man from Fayette County; a 61-year-old woman and two men, 69 and 83, from Hopkins County; two women, 37 and 74, and a 77-year-old man from Jefferson County; a 77-year-old woman from Jessamine County; a 67-year-old Lawrence County man; two Oldham County men, 55 and 59; and three Washington County women, 66, 83 and 84.
- Counties with 10 or more new cases were: Jefferson, 346; Fayette, 146; Boone, 73; Warren, 53; Kenton, 49; Pulaski, 49; Carter, 44; Harlan, 44; Christian, 43; McCracken, 41; Boyd, 39; Madison, 34; Oldham, 28; Caldwell, 27; Campbell, Graves, Letcher and Logan, 22; Franklin, 21; Adair, 19; Boyle, Bullitt and Shelby, 19; Greenup and Woodford 18; Scott, Taylor, Trigg and Wayne, 17; Harrison, 16; Elliott and Magoffin, 15; Muhlenberg and Simpson, 14; Perry, 13; Bell, Daviess, Hopkins, Marion and Mercer, 12; Jessamine, Rowan, Todd and Whitley, 11; and Calloway, Henry and Johnson, 10.
- There are 1,712 people hospitalized for Covid-19 in Kentucky, 441 of them in intensive care and 243 of those on a ventilators.
- Beshear re-opened the state’s Eviction Relief Fund and will leave it open until exhausted, which is anticipated to happen Tuesday or Wednesday. His news release said this reopening is only for past-due rent between March through December 2020, not future rent. An estimated $1.4 million is available. Click here to apply.
- The Lexington Herald-Leader produced a series of graphs to show coronavirus cases, covid-19 hospitalizations and deaths in Fayette County, including deaths in individual nursing homes. Here’s one: