COVID-19 cases falling in southeastern Kentucky

ROCKCASTLE COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) - COVID-19 cases are falling in parts of southeastern Kentucky.

Health leaders say the virus is still out there, but they are seeing fewer hospitalizations and overall cases.

The Cumberland Valley District Health Department serves several counties, including Rockcastle, and Christy Green, the health department director, tells us they are still seeing fewer cases, less than 50 per week, in this county. Green says hospitalizations are also down, with fewer than five needing treatment there.

It is a much different story than what was happening this time last year when the delta variant was putting a lot of people in the hospital. This comes as the new booster to protect against the variants is available.

“We have found quite a bit of interest in our communities in the bivalent vaccines,” Green said. “It does protect against the older strains for which the original vaccine was developed as well as for the omicron variant, which is what we are still seeing circulating in our communities in the United States.”

Deaths caused by COVID-19 are also low. Green says last year they might have seen a death every week, but now it’s more like once a month.

The virus is still active but health leaders it’s much more like the flu as it reaches an endemic nature.

Health leaders say people can get both their flu shot and the booster shot during the same appointment if they choose.

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