During his Monday media briefing, Governor Andy Beshear said the state has stopped the exponential growth of the coronavirus for the third time.The state reported 1,455 new cases Monday following a week that saw it’s lowest total since the week of November 9.
According to the state’s COVID-19 data website, 80-percent of the 258,517 cases reported by the governor are confirmed cases with the other 20-percent probable cases.
The state also reported eight deaths pushing the December total to 654, which is equal to the state’s total from March to mid-July.
Beshear said the Christmas day bombing in Nashville that affected AT&T service throughout the Southeast also impacted the ability of labs to submit testing data to health departments and the state.
click to download audioWhile Kentucky is seeing another plateau in the number of COVID-19 cases, surrounding states are not. Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack says Kentucky is in the eye of the COVID hurricane right now.
click to download audioDr. Stack said with the number of high cases in other states that border Kentucky, he urges people to not travel and to get tested once they return home if they do.
The state also announced the next phase of vaccinations for the state. Stack said people over the age of 70 will be included in the next phase.
click to download audioStack said people over the age of 70 make up 11-percent of the state’s population but comprise 75-percent of the state’s COVID deaths and are four times likely to need an ICU bed.
Also included in the next vaccination phase, expected to begin around the first of February, are school employees.
click to download audioBased on supply, Stack thinks one in every seven Americans should be able to get vaccinated between now and March.
