World Health Organization says COVID's 'end is in sight.' Here's where Kentucky stands

The director of the World Health Organization said Wednesday that COVID-19's "end is in sight" while reporting the lowest number of weekly virus-related deaths since March 2020, but warning that it is not over yet.

"A marathon runner does not stop when the finish line comes into view," WHO's Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. "She runs harder with all the energy she has left. So must we. We can see the finish line."

Advising countries to invest in vaccination and testing efforts, he added: "We are in a winning position, but now is the worst time to stop running."

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Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday, a day after he and wife Britainy received their updated COVID-19 booster shots, that he was happy to hear the WHO leader's comments.

"I'd like to see the end," Beshear said. "I'd like it to be here. I'd like to move past it."

Here's where Kentucky stands as of Sept. 15:

Kentucky's COVID-19 deaths, hospitalization numbers

"I think all of us know a lot of people right now that have COVID or have had COVID recently, but most all of them have recovered, which is positive," Beshear said Thursday. "We have seen our fatalities shrink significantly."

Cabinet for Health and Family Services data over the past 11 weeks shows very little fluctuation in COVID-related deaths and hospitalizations. Likewise, the number of Kentuckians on ventilators and in intensive care units with COVID-19 has stayed under 100, with two exceptions, for more than two months.

"In the very least we plateaued, and we have been plateaued," Beshear said. "But there is some hope that this might actually represent a downward trend."

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More green has begun to pop back into Kentucky's virus incidence rate map, which is updated weekly. And the rate of positive cases fell last week, the first drop since early August. The rate was 16.29% as of Monday, though that number doesn't include at-home tests, meaning it is likely to be higher.

Eastern Kentucky remained mostly in the red zone − the highest − on Sept. 9 while the western half of the state was a mix of orange and green.

How is Louisville fairing?

Louisville fell into the orange zone the week of Sept. 11, meaning it is no longer in the least safe range for COVID-19 infections.

City data shows cases fell roughly by 1,500 that week as well, with weekly deaths dropping to the lowest since July at four for the week.

How many Kentuckians are vaccinated?

As of Sept. 12, 67% of Kentuckians had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine; 58% were fully vaccinated; 27% had received booster shots.

The most-vaccinated population is Kentuckians ages 65 to 74, who are 99% inoculated against COVID-19. The next highest population is the 75 and older group. The least vaccinated group is made up of Kentuckians ages 0 to 4, who were the last to get the green light for the shots.

The counties with the highest vaccinated percentages are, as of Sept. 12:

• Fayette, 80%

• Woodford, 77%

• Jefferson, 76%

• Campbell, 75%

• Boone, 72%

The counties with the lowest vaccine percentages reported by the state:

• Spencer, 35%

• Edmonson, 38%

• Elliott, 40%

• Hart, 40%

• Knox, 41%

Reach health reporter Sarah Ladd at sladd@courier-journal.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ladd_sarah.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: WHO says COVID-19 end is in sight. Here's a look at Kentucky's numbers