Assistant State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter warned the data shows we are most likely in the middle of the most dangerous part of the pandemic, even as vaccines have trickled into the state.
The Department of Health reported 68 new COVID fatalities Wednesday, meaning the three days leading up to Christmas Eve have all seen over 50 new deaths.
“The risk level is high and people need to take more mitigating measures, do more to help themselves and their family than they ever have before,” said Kanter.
Our total number of deaths as of Christmas Eve morning is 7,226
Kanter asked people who’ve still made Christmas plans outside their household to cancel them. He said any large gathering statistically will have one infectious person.
“People know more people with COVID than they feel that they ever have before, it’s a common refrain and it is accurate,” said Kanter.
Every parish is still in the red for COVID test positivity rates.
But Kanter said we won’t be in this mess for too much longer. He says over ten thousand people have been confirmed vaccinated, with the real number likely a good bit higher.
“The vaccine is the off ramp and how we get out of this pandemic and as we watch those numbers go up it’s like watching the mile markers go down as you drive south, one step closer to where we want to be,” said Kanter.
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