With fewer new COVID-19 cases, Beshear urges Kentuckians to keep up precautions
The number of new COVID-19 cases in Kentucky continued to decline Monday. according to Gov. Andy Beshear.
Beshear reported 723 new infections and nine new deaths. Moreover, there were less than 1,000 current virus-caused hospitalizations in the state.
In addition to releasing the COVID statistics, Beshear said childcare workers will get higher priority for vaccines. They have been included in 1B groups and can sign up anywhere the state is offering vaccines.
The new figures followed Beshear’s Sunday announcement that decreases in new cases had occurred for the fifth week in a row. The daily update for Sunday included 1,710 new COVID-19 cases and 10 new deaths.
“We see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Beshear said Monday. “We want to protect one another as we get there.”
Every time there has been a drop in infections, officials have stressed the importance of continuing precautions and safeguards, including masking and social distancing.
Bad weather may have contributed to less testing and lower new case numbers, Beshear said, But “this does follow the trend we have been seeing, so we’ll hope to continue to see that in the data as we go.”
While fatalities also are lower Beshear noted, “There was a time when nine new deaths were tough to hear, and they’re still tragic.”
This story was originally published February 15, 2021 at 5:01 PM.