Governor Andy Beshear announced 3,114 new cases of COVID-19 and 20 more deaths Tuesday and he also addressed an alleged threat against a Christian County Health Department employee that was posted on Facebook.
Even with that high number of new cases, the governor expressed hope that the rate of growth in new cases is slowing as it’s about 1,000 less cases than was reported last Tuesday.
Five people under the age of 60 were among the new deaths, including a 58-year old man from Hopkins County. A 78-year old Marshall County man and a 74-year old Hopkins County woman were also among the deaths listed.
Christian County Health Department Director Kayla Bebout on Monday afternoon reported an alleged threat against one of its employees to Hopkinsville police. It was in a Facebook comment on a post about action against a local restaurant and Chief Clayton Sumner says it’s his understanding the comment has since been deleted. He says officers are talking to the suspect to determine if there was intent and charges had not been filed as of Tuesday afternoon.
The report lists third-degree terroristic threatening as the potential charge.
Governor Beshear praised health department employees and says any threats should be taken seriously.
He also talked more about vaccines saying the highest level of long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes, will be the first long-term care homes to receive doses. He says inmates in the state’s prisons and jails won’t be among the first groups to be vaccinated, though deputy jailers and corrections officers won’t be far down the list.
Hospitals in the Pennyrile region maintain sufficient overall capacity, ICU beds and ventilators, according to information provided by the governor.
Tennessee reported 6,019 new cases and a record 100 new deaths. A record 2,566 Tennesseans are also in the hospital and the state’s positivity rate is 18.47 percent.