All of the numbers regarding COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are headed the right way in Kentucky as it appears the spike from the Delta variant is subsiding.
Governor Andy Beshear announced 1,751 new cases from Saturday, 827 from Sunday and 678 Monday during his first briefing of the week and the positivity rate has dropped to 7.36 percent.
Trend on COVID deaths trail cases by about a month and the governor announced another 103 fatalities since Saturday.
The governor says all of the new data is trending the right direction, which is very good news for Kentucky as we approach the holiday season.
Hospitalizations are also dropping quicky and Governor Beshear credits vaccines and the increased availability of antibody treatments.
The Merck anti-viral pill treatment that’s been shown to greatly reduce hospitalizations when taken could become available to the public as soon as early December, but Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack cautions supplies will be limited at first.
Even with the improvements, Governor Beshear says precautions remain important—especially universal masking mandates in Kentucky schools.