Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear says things continue to look bleak in Kentucky in the regard to the pandemic, as he reported 3,601 new cases Wednesday.
That brings the overall total in the state up to 186,769, with the positivity rate increasing up to 9.62 percent. The governor says the White House is advising that the escalation has reached dangerous levels across the nation, and they’re pleading with people to follow the guidelines.
Governor Beshear says we are so close to the finish line, with vaccines potentially ready for distribution right around the corner. Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack says the data shows that if everyone abided by the new restrictions and the mask mandate, it would turn the trajectory of the pandemic in the Commonwealth around.
Another high day of COVID-19 related deaths was reported with 37, putting the death toll at 1,980. Approximately 3,100 inmates and staff in the Kentucky prison system have now tested positive for COVID-19.
The Tennessee Department of Health is reporting 4,099 new cases of COVID-19, along with 50 new deaths—Montgomery County gained 68 new cases, Robertson County reported 48 and Stewart County added five.