Politics & Government
City Of Louisville: Covid-19 Continues To Rapidly Spread While Calls To Crisis Lines Increase In Number And Intensity
September 5- 11 is National Suicide Prevention Week
September 07, 2021
Call the LOU HEALTH helpline 502-912-8598.
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September 5- 11 is National Suicide Prevention Week
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (September 7, 2021) – Today, Mayor Greg Fischer and Dr. Sarah Moyer, Chief Health Strategist for the city, were joined by Geneva Robinson, Director of the Crisis and Information Center at Seven Counties Services, to provide an update on the surge of COVID-19 in the community.
Find out what's happening in Louisvillefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
– Today, Mayor Greg Fischer and Dr. Sarah Moyer, Chief Health Strategist for the city, were joined by Geneva Robinson, Director of the Crisis and Information Center at Seven Counties Services, to provide an update on the surge of COVID-19 in the community.
“Besides people experiencing severe illness and death from COVID-19, another sad impact of the virus is the tragedies caused by the despair of the pandemic and the sense of instability practically everyone has experienced,” said Mayor Fischer. “This is Suicide Prevention Week, and we want to make sure everyone has the information they need to get through this difficult time and to help others as well.”
“Besides people experiencing severe illness and death from COVID-19, another sad impact of the virus is the tragedies caused by the despair of the pandemic and the sense of instability practically everyone has experienced,” said Mayor Fischer. “This is Suicide Prevention Week, and we want to make sure everyone has the information they need to get through this difficult time and to help others as well.”
Robinson shared that since the beginning of 2020 calls to Seven Counties free 24/7 crisis lines have increased in number and in severity. Before 2020, they received anywhere from 61,000 to 64,000 calls a year. In 2020, they answered 71,000 calls.
Robinson shared that since the beginning of 2020 calls to Seven Counties free 24/7 crisis lines have increased in number and in severity. Before 2020, they received anywhere from 61,000 to 64,000 calls a year. In 2020, they answered 71,000 calls.
Robinson also noted that there’s been an increase in calls from individuals who were at the point of self-harm — 750 in 2020 vs. 500 in 2019. With calls like that, they can initiate “active rescue” to immediately initiate help to the individual.
“We want people to know you don’t have to be at a breaking point to call us,” Robinson said. “Reach out to us when you’re having trouble coping, when feelings start to get out of hand, or you are having difficulty handling whatever is going on in your life. Our crisis counselors provide a safe place to talk and a safe place to help you get resources you may need.”
“It’s OK to not be OK,” Robinson added. “We are in an unprecedented time for all of us. People are experiencing a multitude of challenges at once. Please call us. Your call is anonymous and confidential. We want to help you.”
Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Crisis Lines:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Spanish)
(888) 628-9454
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Options for Deaf and Hard of Hearing)
Louisville Still in “High Alert” Red Level
“We are in a red high-alert level. COVID is everywhere,” said Dr. Moyer. “If you are unvaccinated, it is unsafe to be out in the community right now. Please stay home if you can. If you’re vaccinated or unvaccinated, it’s still important to wear your mask and keep your space.”
Moyer added, “If you participated in any high-risk activities this weekend – went to gatherings of any kind – please get tested this week. The sooner those that are positive stay home, the faster we will get this surge under control. Remember, you are spreading the virus two days before you start having symptoms.”
Here are the key COVID-19 data metrics for September 7, 2021:
Vaccines
“We are at almost record-breaking numbers for people with such serious illness from COVID they require hospitalization, admittance to the ICU, and being put on a ventilator. Patients are younger, sicker and unvaccinated. If you don’t have immunity – whether from the vaccine or from having a previous moderate to severe diagnosis of COVID, you need to be staying home until you’re fully vaccinated,” Moyer said.
“This pandemic has had a major effect on our lives….some more than others as many have lost family members or friends they loved; some are dealing with long haul symptoms for months after recovering, some have had to quit jobs to care for children or family members; some – like our healthcare workers and your public health workers – have faced what sometimes seems like an overwhelming load of responsibility and care. We’ve got to take care of ourselves. But we must also take care of each other. Please get vaccinated today. And please reach out to the crisis line if you’re struggling.”
# # #
View this week’s COVID-19 briefing with public health officials here.
The city’s COVID-19 data dashboard, a complete list of COVID-19 testing sites, vaccine information, prevention and contact tracing can be found at www.louisville.gov/covid19. The LOU HEALTH COVID19 Helpline is also available: 502-912-8598.
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This press release was produced by the City of Louisville. The views expressed here are the author’s own.
