Governor Andy Beshear gave an update on COVID-19 in the state on Thursday, reporting 785 new cases and a backlog of COVID-19 deaths.
The positivity rate is now at 3.23 percent, the lowest it has been since July, with the governor saying that’s certainly worth celebrating, and in response, they will be extending the current curfew set on bars and restaurants to midnight starting Friday.
The governor reported a significant back log of COVID-19 deaths in the state, as a result of the audit on the reporting system that took place recently, and it showed a large number of deaths that were reported at the local level but did not make it to the state level at some point in the reporting process. He reported 31 new deaths Thursday and there will be 604 under-reported deaths currently.
This bumps the death toll since the pandemic began up to 5,504. The governor also announced that beginning Monday, they are asking vaccine providers to expand phase 1C to include individuals who are 50 years of age and older, allowing them to make appointments to get vaccinated.
The Tennessee Department of Health reported 661 new cases of COVID-19 there, along with 23 new deaths—the positivity rate in the Volunteer State is now 6.80 percent.