Louisville getting ‘back to normal’ with another version of COVID expected to arrive soon

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - We are getting back together, the masks are coming off and the COVID numbers are going down. But as predicted, COVID is not going away.

“Now is the time to get boosted,” Metro Public Health Director Dr. Sarah Moyer said as she warned of the pending arrival of a new, more contagious version of the omicron variant. “The booster vaccine works great against it. So if you’re not boosted yet, please make sure you do that soon.”

The words of caution came Tuesday during Louisville’s latest COVID health briefing.

It was the first such briefing to be held in person and without masks in more than two years.

“Historically, Louisville’s been hit two or three weeks after some of the bigger cities across the US,” Moyer said. “So we’d expect that coming soon.”

At a time when there have been steep drops in the number of new COVID cases and hospitalizations, there is speculation the new omicron variant could slow the decline or drive numbers back up.

“If community spread gets high enough, then it’s more than likely going to be required for people to wear masks again at that time,” Dr. Mark Burns, UofL infectious disease specialist said. “Again, it’s going to depend on community spread.”

Mayor Greg Fischer announced a citywide day of remembrance on Friday for people lost to the pandemic.

As of Tuesday, more than 2,200 people have died in Jefferson County after contracting COVID-19, the release said.

“Over 2,200 people in our community are still mourning the loss of life to this deadly virus. Sadly, sometimes we hear people use the word ‘only’ when they critique public health actions. ‘Only’ a percentage of people get seriously ill. ‘Only’ a percentage of people die,” the Mayor said. “There is no ‘only’ a percentage when it’s your mother, father, brother, sister or child who has been hospitalized or has died because of the virus.”

To honor the lives lost due to COVID-19 and to recognize the collective trauma the community has faced, Fischer said a Day of Remembrance will be held on March 18, 2022.

The date of the remembrance will symbolize two years since Jefferson County reported its first COVID-19 death.

“Let’s honor those that we’ve lost. Let’s show solidarity with their families,” Fisher said. “Let’s always remember to add to our city’s reserve of resiliency. And let’s remember so we never forget how we reached the day of the declining numbers we are seeing now.”

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