1,447 new KY COVID-19 cases and 43 deaths. 119 new vaccine sites coming next week.
Gov. Andy Beshear announced 1,447 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday in Kentucky, along with 43 additional deaths attributable to the virus, raising the death toll to 4,570 and the state’s total number of confirmed cases to 401,750.
The positivity rate continues to drop, hitting 5.67 percent on Thursday — the lowest since October 24.
At least 646,836 people have received at least their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine. Starting next week, the state will gain another 119 sites where people can schedule an appointment for a vaccine, for a total of 410. The new sites include six more regional vaccination clinics, 10 more Kroger stores, 10 more Walmart stores and several independent pharmacies.
Starting Monday, March 1, people in priority group 1C become eligible. That group includes essential workers, people age 60 and older, and people over age 16 with certain at-risk health conditions. Beshear has asked sites to initially prioritize the 60 and older population.
There are 843 people hospitalized with coronavirus, 220 in intensive care and 122 on a ventilator. In long-term care facilities, nine more residents and 11 staff have tested positive, bringing their total number of active cases to 342. In K-12 schools, at least 418 students and 74 staff tested positive this week, while 942 students and 107 staff are quarantined.
The state has conducted as many coronavirus tests as it has people — 4.46 million.
As more people are inoculated in Kentucky and the number of new cases decline, it’s safer for some in-person activities to resume. Starting April 1, the Administrative Office of the Courts will begin easing certain restrictions and allowing in-person proceedings at courthouses. Most of the state’s court functions have been remote since late November.
The changes, announced Thursday, still allow for telework and extend the date for mail-in driver’s license renewal to June 30. But starting on May 1, those changes also allow for jury trials to resume, and for judges to begin scheduling individual cases for in-person hearings. Grand jury proceedings will begin on April 1, and at the discretion of judges, courts can begin hearing civil and criminal matters in person starting on May 1.
This story was originally published February 25, 2021 at 5:33 PM.
