Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear announced 948 new cases of COVID-19 Friday, the third highest number reported so far, and nine new deaths.
That brings the official overall total of cases in the Commonwealth up to 55,704, and the positivity rate increased slightly once more to 4.70 percent, still below that five percent mark. Governor Beshear urged everyone to come together, much like the nation did 19 years ago when facing a huge, challenging tragedy, and face the enemy of COVID-19 head-on.
Nine more Kentuckians have died, raising the death toll to 1,044. The governor says that Kentuckians have already fought hard, but now is the time to keep fighting and doing what needs to be done to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
The governor announced that unemployed Kentuckians who are eligible for FEMA’s Lost Wages Program will begin receiving those funds in their accounts in the next two to three days, as the Office of Unemployment Insurance on Friday began the processing for the weeks of July 26 to August 15.
Tennessee gained an additional 1,622 cases of COVID-19 and 37 new deaths, according to the Tennessee Department of Health.