42 more Kentucky COVID-19 deaths and 1,440 new cases. Positivity rate falls below 7%.
Noting that Kentucky is on track to have its fifth-consecutive week of declining cases, Gov. Andy Beshear announced 1,440 new cases of COVID-19 in Kentucky on Friday and 42 additional virus-related deaths.
The daily tally of new cases is the lowest reported on a Friday in more than a month, Beshear said.
“It looks like we’re going to have fewer cases than last week, which would give us five straight weeks of declining cases,” the governor noted in a brief written update, adding that the statewide positivity rate also continues to drop. The state has reported a total of 386,326 confirmed cases and 4,253 deaths.
The rate of Kentuckians testing positive fell below 7 percent for the first time in 2021 on Friday, to 6.95 percent — the lowest rate since Nov. 6, before the state’s end-of-the-year holiday surge.
Both a drop in new cases and positivity rate shows the state is “headed in the right direction,” Beshear said, cautioning people to continue wearing masks even after they’ve been immunized.
The state continues to ramp up its rollout of coronavirus vaccines. By Friday, at least 514,170 people had received their first dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, according to the Kentucky Department for Public Health. Beshear on Thursday announced a slew of new locations where people can access a dose by appointment only, including at six new regional high-volume Kroger sites in Adair, Franklin, Henderson, Union, Lawrence and Carter counties, as well as at dozens of Walmart, Walgreens, and Kroger store locations. Find the full list at vaccine.ky.gov.
In long-term care facilities, where most residents and staff who want a vaccine have had a chance to get one, there are 25 new cases among residents and 11 new cases among staff, bringing the total number of active cases to 474.
In K-12 schools this week, at least 653 students tested positive for the virus, along with 206 teachers and staff, and at least 2,357 students and 305 staff were in quarantine because of exposure, according to to the state’s school coronavirus dashboard, which relies on schools to self report.
Across the state, there are 1,063 people hospitalized with coronavirus. Of those, 277 are in intensive care and 154 are on a ventilator.
This story was originally published February 12, 2021 at 5:28 PM.
