State Public Health Commissioner Steven Stack said Kentuckians should prepare for sustained and elevated deaths reported through the end of the year. During Thursday’s briefing, Stack said the previous coronavirus surge saw many people get very sick very fast. He noted public health officials continue to process that information. “The governor will be up here announcing, unfortunately, higher deaths over weeks to come. But that is part of the journey we have just now begun to emerge from with the delta surge,” said Stack.
Stack said some 95% of deaths in Kentuckians under age 50 have been in the unvaccinated. Both Stack and Governor Beshear spoke of the importance of getting boosters. The state’s public health leader said there will be sufficient vaccine for the newest group of eligible citizens, those youngsters from ages five-to-eleven.
As far as reaching 75% vaccination coverage for all Kentuckians by the end of December, the governor said that may be too lofty a goal. “In Kentucky, we won’t be at 75%, but with a whole new area, age group, being able to be vaccinated, I think that we will see significant improvement. I think that we’ll be over 60 percent, I certainly hope, being at 56% of all Kentuckians now,” noted Beshear.
Governor Beshear noted there are between 1200-to-3000 new vaccinations each day in the Commonwealth. The governor added declines in cases and hospitalizations continue, but at a slower rate than in prior weeks.
