Officials: Vaccination remains important

Health officials continue to reiterate the pandemic will not end until more people are vaccinated.

END UNTIL MORE OFTHE POPULATION ISVACCINATED.NANCYBECAUSE AS WECONTINUE TO LEARN,EVEN THE VACCINEMAY NOT PREVENTHOSPITALIZATION ORDEATH TO THOSEWITH UNDERLYINGHEALTH CONDITIONS,SUCH AS THE 84-YEAR-OLD FORMERSECRETARY OFSTATE.LEX 18'S CONROYDELOUCHE HASMORE.CONROYDELOUCHE01:32:57-:07"HEALTHDEPARTMENTOFFICIALS SAYTHEY'REENCOURAGED THATTHE DAILY CASECOUNT CONTINUESTO GO DOWN HEREIN LEXINGTON.

BUTTHEY SAY THERE'SNO TIME YET, TOLET YOUR GUARDDOWN"AS OF TODAY ... THEROLLING SEVEN-DAYAVERAGE FORCASES IN FAYETTECOUNTY IS 85 PERDAY.KEVIN HALL 00:21-:00:28 IF YOU LOOKTO SIX WEEKS,EIGHT WEEKSGO A,IT WAS UP TOALMOST 250 CASESA DAY.

THAT'SFANTASTIC"BUT KEVIN HALLWITH THE FAYETTECOUNTY HEALTHDEPARTMENTWARNS THAT THECURRENT NUMBER ISSTILL MORE THANEIGHT TIMES HIGHERTHAN IN JUNE/JULY.HALL 2:10-:16 "LASTTIME THE NUMBERSGOT LOW, TOOMANY PEOPLESTARTED ACTINGLIKE THIS WASCOMPLETELY OVER,AND THAT'S NOTTHE CASE"ACCORDING TO THECDC ... MORE THAN75-PERCENT OFLEXINGTON ADULTSARE FULLYVACCINATED ... AND99-POINT-9 OFTHOSE 65 ANDOLDER HAVERECEIVED AT ASLETONE DOSE.BUT, AS HALL ANDOTHER HEALTHEXPERTS HAVEWARNED ... WHILETHE VACCINE ISHIGHLY EFFECTIVE ...IT IS NOT 100-PERCENT ATPREVENTINGHOSPITALIZATION ORDEATH.COLIN POWELL ...WAS FULLYVACCINATED.HALL 5:32-:50 "IT ISAN UNFORTUNATEDEATH, BUT IT IS APERSON WHO IS 84YEARS OF AGE, APERSON WHO HADUNDERLYINGHEALTHCONDITIONS.

IT'SWHY IT IS SOIMPORATANT TOTAKE THE STEPS TOPROTECT THOSE.BECAUSE EVERYDAY THERE AREPEOPLE WHO AREHOSPITALIZED,SICK, WHO HAVETHESECOMPLICATIONSWHO AREN'T DYINGFROM IT BECAUSETHEY HAVE BEENVACCINATED"AND HE WARNS THATIF MORE PEOPLEDON'T GETVACCINATED ...HALL 8:13-:18 "A ILLTTAKES IS FOR THISVIRUS TO SPREADAND MUTATE, ANDWE'RE BACK INTOTHOSE HIGH CASENUMBERS AGAIN"01:34:00-:15 "HALLYSAS THAT SINCEFEBRUARY, WHENTHE VACCINESTARTED TOBECOME MOREWIDELY AVAILABLE,MORE THAN 100PEOPLE INLEXINGTON HAVEDIED DUE TOCOVID-19.

THEMAJORITY OFTHOSE WEREUACNVCINATED.

INLEXINGTON,CONROYDELOUCHE, LEX 18NEWS.