LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 13, 2021) – Tuesday, Mayor Fischer and Dr. Sarah Moyer, Louisville’s Chief Health Strategist joined UofL Health medical experts to provide an update on COVID-19 data in Louisville, look back at the first day of vaccinations at Cardinal Stadium, reinforce the need for vaccinations with the presence of the B.1.1.7 and P.1 COVID variants in the city and discuss the latest news on the Janssen vaccine rollout.
Mayor Fischer said Louisville is at a historic moment with its efforts to put an end to the COVID pandemic after more than a year working to return to normalcy.
“We’re in a race,” Mayor Fischer said. “On one side, COVID-19 vaccines are more accessible than ever in our community. On the other side, we have variants that are more easily transmissible or makes people even sicker than the virus we’re familiar that could take a firm hold in our community. That puts all of our hard-earned gains at risk.”
As communities in the U.S. along the Northeast, upper Midwest see elevated cases and hospitalizations, Mayor Fischer stressed that individuals continue to follow the public health practices of wearing a mask, using six feet of social distancing, washing hands and getting vaccinated when able.
“Here in Louisville, we’re working hard to gain an edge, but even an edge is not the same as a win,” Mayor Fischer said. “The worst losses are the ones we know we could’ve prevented. These vaccine shots are vouched for as safe and effective by medical professionals ranging from our leading national experts to our local practitioners.”
Federal Health Agency Pauses Janssen Vaccine rollout
The Centers for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration called for an immediate pause in use of the Janssen single-dose vaccine after six recipients of the 6.8 million doses distributed developed a rare reaction involving blood clots within two weeks of vaccination. All six individuals were women between the ages of 18 and 48.
Dr. Moyer said that 5,563 doses of the Janssen vaccine were administered in Louisville to date and the health department has had no reported cases of blood clotting or other issues. While the latest news brings concern Dr. Moyer said the system in place for monitoring the safety and effectiveness of vaccines is working. She added that nearly seven million people in the U.S. have received the Janssen vaccine and this latest occurrence places the risk at less than one in a million. Dr. Moyer said the health department will pause the use of the vaccine to align with the CDC and the FDA.
“The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is made up of scientists and medical experts who review the data, outcomes and then make recommendations to the CDC. This pause creates time for more analysis and changes. We can’t lose sight that COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death in 2020. Too many lives were lost and too many people are dealing with lingering side effects from the virus.”
Here are the key COVID-19 data metrics for the week of April 12, 2021:
- There were 635 new cases over the previous week.
- Hospitalization data:
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5% of patients currently hospitalized have COVID-19.
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25 patients in ICU with COVID-19 as of April 13, compared to 22 the week prior.
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11 COVID-19 patients on ventilators as of April 13, compared to 11 last week.
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492,445 total vaccine doses given in Metro Louisville since December.
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38.9% of Louisville residents have received at least one dose of vaccine and 22.8% have completed the vaccine series
Dr. Moyer reported that Louisville is still in the alert level orange for COVID cases and that the city saw its number of cases increase from last week. Additionally, Dr. Moyer said there were more cases identified with the B.1.1.7 (UK) variant and the first case of the P.1 (Brazil) variant confirmed in Louisville. She said these cases are a reminder that the pandemic is not over encouraging individuals 16 and over to sign up as soon as possible for a vaccine appointment.
“Getting vaccinated is one more tool you can use to protect yourself and your loved ones,” Dr. Moyer said. “Once you’ve been vaccinated, you have the upper hand against the virus, because it means that even if you are exposed, you’ll be ok.”
Individuals looking for a vaccine appointment can visit the health department’s website at www.louisvilleky.gov/covid19 for a list of vaccine providers. The department’s LOU HEALTH COVID-19 Helpline, 502-912-8598, can also help people schedule appointments.
Cardinal Stadium Mass Vaccination Site
On Monday, the University of Louisville Hospital opened its mass vaccination site at Cardinal Stadium for individuals ages 16 and up. Dr. Jason Smith, Chief Medical Officer for UofL Health said the site administered nearly 3,000 vaccines during the first day of operation with 3,600 appointments scheduled for Tuesday. Dr. Smith said he was encouraged by the efficiency of the site as volunteers and staff were able to get people in and out in under 10 minutes on average. The site administers the Pfizer vaccine currently and accepts appointments from residents of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Metro Louisville and Southern Indiana.
Dr. Smith said that anyone 16 and older in need of a vaccine appointment at Cardinal Stadium can sign up at UofLHealth.org, call 502-681-1435, or show up on site stating there were plenty of staff and volunteers available to help individuals register on site.
Going forward Dr. Smith said the biggest challenge will be getting the vaccine out to the general public. He said for the first time since the pandemic started there is a surplus of the vaccine available at UofL Health, Norton Healthcare, Baptist Health and many other healthcare organizations in the community. Dr. Smith said public health officials and organizations need and want to get the vaccine out to the community.
“When we were living with COVID for so long, in the health care industry we were scared about what we were bringing home,” Dr. Smith said. “When you get the vaccine, it really is a freeing experience. You are still wearing a mask and still worried, but you’re less worried about your loved ones and bringing something home.”
COVID Variants in Louisville
During Tuesday’s weekly COVID-19 update, Dr. Moyer shared that Louisville had 35 total confirmed cases of COVID variants, 34 of the B.1.1.7 (UK) variant and a single case of the P.1 (Brazil) variant. Dr. Mark Burns, an infectious disease specialist and associate professor with University of Louisville discussed the CDC’s classifications on variants and their impact.
The CDC groups SARS-CoV-2 variants into three categories: variant of interest, variant of concern and variant of high consequence. The two variants with confirmed cases in Louisville, B.1.1.7 and the P.1. are identified as a variant of concern which means there is evidence of increased transmissibility, and more severe complications such as hospitalizations and deaths.
Dr. Burns said research of the B.1.1.7 variant, first identified in the United Kingdom with its first reported U.S. case in December of 2020, has shown it to be more contagious and 50 percent more transmissible than the original strain of COVID-19. Speaking further, Dr. Burns said the B.1.1.7 variant is likely the cause behind the increased hospitalizations and case fatality rates in the U.S.
While the current trajectory of the virus is concerning, Dr. Burns said the good news is that the current vaccines available are safe and effective in protecting against the B.1.1.7 variant and the other variants that are circulating. He said it’s going to take a collective effort in using the public health and safety practices we’ve grown accustomed to since the pandemic began along with getting vaccinated that will help stave off the variants.
“Doubling down on the protective measures of mask wearing, hand washing and social distancing, as well as getting vaccinated are going to be the way we fight these variants off,” Dr. Burns said.
First Responder Data
Currently, 8 members of LMPD, Louisville Fire, Metro EMS, Metro Corrections and the Sheriff’s Office are off-duty due to COVID-19:
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5 are off with positive tests and in self-isolation
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1 are off and quarantined due to exposure to someone who tested positive
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2 are off with symptoms, pending test results
Positive test numbers for first responders/public safety since the incident began:
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559 positive tests
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554 have fully recovered and returned to duty
Metro Corrections inmate data:
Total Tested: 7,209
Total Positive: 414
Total Recovered: 411
Total currently under medical isolation: 3
Total tests pending: 0
 COVID-19 vaccine appointments are available at Walmart Pharmacy locations in Louisville on Raggard Rd, Bashford Manor Ln and Diann Marie Rd through walmart.com/cp/1228302. Visit kycovid19.ky.gov and click on the gold vaccine bar, or call toll-free 855-598-2246, for more info or to schedule appointments.
After the last year, we all deserve hope. The COVID-19 vaccine helps us with that. Anyone 16 or older can get their COVID-19 vaccine at Cardinal Stadium starting today (April 12). Signing up is easy, and we offer tons of convenient appointment times. More than 20 lanes are open and ready to serve you, your family and friends! The COVID-19 vaccination site has the ability to vaccinate up to 4,000 people per day, for seven weeks.
MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT TODAY!
 Need a ride to get a COVID-19 Vaccine? Please call (888) 848-0989 to schedule a free ride to your appointment. Rides must be scheduled at least 72 hours in advance of your appointment.
To stay informed on vaccine efforts in Louisville, please sign up now for weekly Covid-19 updates.
To see Louisville’s COVID-19 data dashboard, including total number of cases, deaths, testing locations and more, click here.
The latest news about COVID-19 in Kentucky is here.
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