Mayor Fischer Updates Louisville Metro Board Of Health On Fight Against Coronavirus

Press release from the City of Louisville:

December 2, 2020

Speaking this morning during a meeting of the Louisville Metro Board of Health, Mayor Greg Fischer shared that COVID-19 vaccines may be received here as soon as the middle of this month, pending approval by federal officials.

The Mayor, who is a member of the Board of Health, said he will work with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, other board members and Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness on an “efficient, effective and equitable” distribution of the vaccine and is impressed by the planning already underway.

Though widespread distribution of the vaccine will be a months-long process, the Mayor said the city will be ready.

“Just like Metro Government started getting ready for the virus before it arrived, we’re already deep into the process of getting ready for the vaccine that we’re confident will end COVID-19 in our city,” the Mayor said. “Metro Public Health will work to assure frontline health care workers, first responders and long-term care residents get the vaccine as quickly as it’s distributed to Louisville.”

The Mayor said more details will be announced in coming weeks as the timeline and other critical details are finalized.

The Mayor opened his remarks to the board today by applauding members’ commitment to partnering with the Health Department and the city as a whole. “I’m proud to be a member of this board, which has been working hand-in-glove with our Metro Public Health and Wellness team on so many initiatives,” he said.

The Mayor then outlined the many challenges the city faces during this “once-in-a-century” global pandemic, including “the economic downturn the virus has created, the righteous demands for racial justice and equity, an unacceptable rise in gun violence and, for Metro Government, specifically, the need to address all of these concerns while still achieving operational excellence in the critical services we deliver to the public.”

In a determined effort to confront systemic racism, the Mayor noted that he took urgent action on Tuesday to sign an executive order declaring racism as a public health crisis to take steps to create a more equitable and just city.

“That aligns with the commitment this board has made to racial equity, including declaring a commitment to racial equity in health over the summer, conducting racial equity training for Board members and working with Metro Public Health and community partners to offer flu vaccine clinics in the Black and Latinx communities,” the Mayor said. “This organization is really a model for what our community needs right now.”

Mayor Fischer highlighted many other the actions the city has taken in response to the virus, such as organizing an Incident Management Team early in the year and beginning daily conversations with state officials, health industry experts including the Board of Health, stakeholders and community partners. Other steps include:

• Expanding the Department of Public Health and Wellness, whose staff is working tirelessly to keep the city safe, including contracting to hire and train over 300 contact tracers to track, trace, and contain the disease.
• Working with public and private partners to expand testing capacity. Today, anyone who wants or needs a test can get one, and the results often come between 24-48 hours.
• Prioritizing health equity in COVID-19 response from Day One, working with community partners to locate testing sites in the Black and Latinx communities and working with community leaders, organizations and media outlets to increase awareness of the dangers of this virus.
• Communicating with community partners through the city’s Office for Globalization to make educational resources and testing sites more accessible to Louisville’s immigrant community. COVID-19 information has been translated and disseminated in videos and other media in 26 languages.
• Developing the Stay Strong Louisville media campaign to help reinforce the importance of mask-wearing and social distancing as we combat COVID fatigue.

The Mayor also shared that in his role as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, he has been part of a bipartisan group of mayors working with President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris’ Transition Team to discuss a strategy to help cities around the country get control of the virus. The plan includes safely reopening schools and facilitating an equitable recovery.

This press release was produced by the City of Louisville. The views expressed here are the author’s own.