LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and local health officials are encouraged by the continued decline in COVID-19 cases in Jefferson County.Â
New cases are dropping significantly, and the amount of coronavirus patients in intensive care units have decreased, Fischer said during his weekly virtual town hall Saturday on Facebook.Â
During the week beginning Feb. 14, Jefferson County reported 2,130 confirmed COVID-19 cases along with 23 virus-related deaths.Â
"This past seven days, we're at 16,000,"Â Fischer said. "So at about half of what we were at the peak, but the virus is still out there."
The COVID-19 vaccine rollout has increased, but just under 6% of the Jefferson County population has been vaccinated. Health officials have administered 143,007 of the 200,225 doses it has received; 43,281 residents have received both doses of the two-shot immunization.Â
Fischer expects more vaccines to be available in around six weeks. As the rollout progresses, he said his focus will become getting people to sign up for vaccination appointments.Â
"As we get to the tail end of administering the vaccination, we're going to have to be going out to individual homes (and) neighborhood groups to convince people to take the vaccine so we can get to this herd immunity number of a minimum of 70%," Fischer said.
The mayor emphasized the importance of continuing to get tested despite the holiday season being over.Â
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- How to register for COVID-19 vaccine in Kentucky and Indiana
- Kentucky reports 1,333 new COVID-19 cases, 25 more deaths
- Louisville prepares to expand eligibility for COVID-19 vaccinations in late March or early April
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