While saying Kentucky is experiencing a real trend of declining coronavirus cases, Governor Beshear added the Commonwealth is “not completely out of the woods.” During his briefing Monday the governor reported the state’s positivity rate at 7.36%. In announcing 107 additional deaths, Beshear said loss of life is tied to previously reported cases. And he said there is a common thread for deaths in people under 50. “Virtually every death for people under 50 have been unvaccinated. That if you are under 50 and you get the vaccine, with some very rare exceptions, you don’t die,” said Beshear.
As it relates to break-through cases in vaccinated people, Beshear said deaths are often tied to underlying conditions. The governor noted, for those individuals, the vaccine booster is critical. While COVID conditions are improving, Beshear added it’s important to keep universal masking in Kentucky schools.
State Public Health Commissioner Steven Stack offered on update on coronavirus boosters. He anticipates federal approval over the next few weeks to administer vaccinations to children ages five-to-eleven. “It is likely that in the early part of November, the first week or so, this is when it will be available. The federal government has obtained enough vaccine probably to meet half of that population over the first few weeks and then they’ll continue, obviously, to get ongoing supplies and will be able to catch up with the rest,” explained Stack.
Stack said there are an estimated 389,000 children across Kentucky who fall between ages five and eleven. Stack also spoke about the oral antiviral. He equated it to Tamiflu for influenza and said it’s not a replacement for the vaccine.
