Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear reported 3,895 new cases of COVID-19, and the majority of the Commonwealth remains ‘red’ on the state incidence rate map.
The overall total of cases in Kentucky is now up to 190,601 and the positivity rate increased once again up to 10.07 percent, which the governor says is concerning as it shows that this virus is still spreading rapidly through communities. In good news, he says that vaccines could be here for high risk groups as soon as December 15, and a good portion of them will go to frontline healthcare workers, including in Hopkins County.
He says 1,810 Kentuckians are now hospitalized because of coronavirus. It will soon be two weeks since restaurants closed to in-person dining once again, and the governor says he believes they’ll be able to open back up to 50 percent capacity, with a new focus on following mandates.
Christian, Todd and Trigg Counties, along with all of western Kentucky except for Crittenden County, remain ‘red’ on the state incidence rate map. In fact, only six other counties in the state are labeled as ‘orange’.
Kentucky has also lost 34 more Kentuckians in relation to COVID-19, putting the death toll since the pandemic began at 2,014.
The Tennessee Department of Health is reporting 3,967 new COVID-19 there, along with 93 new deaths—the Volunteer State is now at a 20 percent positivity rate.