County goes yellow, businesses can open to 60 percent

Hancock County’s COVID-19 numbers continue to fall and it has officially turned yellow on the state’s map of new virus incidence rates.
On March 2 the county had an incidence rate of 6.6 new daily cases per 100,000 population, which was 11th lowest in the state and far below the state average of 19.23.

This comes just a little more than a month after the county had the highest in the state, with a rate of 103.2 per 100,000 on January 26.
“We’re past the holiday spikes and we’re seeing the lull after the spike we had around the holidays,” said Hancock County Emergency Manager Kyle Veach.

Numbers across the state are trending downward as more people get vaccinated against the virus and the lower rates are allowing more of the economy to open back up to greater numbers of people.

Governor Andy Beshear announced on Monday that many businesses, government buildings and churches can increase capacity to 60 percent.

Those include:Indoor auctions; barbershops/cosmetology/hair salons; bars and restaurants; bowling alleys; indoor educational and cultural activities; fitness centers; funeral and memorial services; government offices/agencies; massage therapy; movie theaters; nail salons; office-based businesses; places of worship (recommendation); retail; tanning salons; tattoo parlors; vehicle and vessel dealerships; and venues and event spaces.

Opening up is a reward for lower transmission rates, but Veach said it could be a new variable in numbers moving forward.
“…It’s going to be kind of interesting to see how that all plays in to the positivity rates in the future,” he said. “I know on a national level that they are concerned with spring break, things like that. We’ll see another spike, maybe not at a county level, but at a state and a national level due to spring break and people traveling here in the next short time.”

That spike should be tempered by expanded availability of vaccines, including the newest one by Johnson & Johnson, which Veach said was expected to be delivered and in use in the state Tuesday of this week.
“I think here in the county we’re trending right around 10 to 12 percent of the population being vaccinated,” he said. “The national average is 14 percent right now.”
That’s people having both shots.

“The people who’ve had one shot and are waiting on the second one, you’re looking at a higher percentage, right around 20 percent,” he said.

Veach expects more virus cases in spring and summer when people begin gathering for cookouts and events, but he said the vaccines should still slow the spread.
“Things are going to trend up and down. We just hope they don’t trend up as much as they did around the holidays,” he said.

As of this week Kentucky has entered Phase 1C of the vaccine rollout, which means it’s now available to people age 60 and over, those age 16 and over who have underlying health conditions, and all essential workers.

Locations where vaccines are available can be found at vaccinefinder.org

“If you’ve had COVID in the past 90 days you need to contact the health department about what your best options are about getting vaccinated,” Veach said. “I know there’s a lot of stigma out there but people just need to do their research, do their homework and draw their own educated decisions about whether the vaccines right for them or not.”

By Dave Taylor
dave.hancockclarion
@gmail.com