Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear reported 726 new cases of COVID-19 in the state Thursday, in his last live update of the week.
The trends are on track to show another week of declining rates of coronavirus—that’s at least partially thanks to swift vaccine distribution, with now approximately 1.3 million Kentuckians having received at least a first dose. Governor Beshear says there are now more appointments available than ever before as even more sites open up.
Starting Monday, the governor is asking all vaccination clinics in the state to open up to Phase Two of the vaccination plan, which is to all Kentuckians 40 years old and up—Christian County Health Department in one clinic that has already done so.
Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack says it’s important for those who want the vaccine to do so as soon as they can—using long term care facilities as an example, he says the vaccine can significantly keep you from becoming severely ill from the virus.
General Counsel Amy Cubbage says they continue to investigate the massive fraud taking place in unemployment systems across the nation, saying people’s personal information could have been stolen in numerous ways—she urges people to report any fraud to the Department of Labor.
The positivity rate in the state is at 2.92 percent—the governor reported 19 new deaths Thursday, putting the death toll at 5,970.
The Tennessee Department of Health reported 1,519 new cases, along with four new deaths–the positivity rate in the Volunteer State is at 6.49 percent.