Kentucky COVID-19 death toll surpasses 5,000 as the number vaccinated tops 1 million
Coming off its ninth-straight week of declining COVID-19 cases, Gov. Andy Beshear announced 396 new cases across Kentucky on Monday and 23 more virus-related deaths, lifting the state’s total number of confirmed cases to 416,610 and pushing the death toll past 5,000.
To commemorate the 5,005 people who’ve died, the governor established a fund to erect a permanent memorial on the Kentucky Capitol grounds. Once the memorial is paid for, any leftover money will help reimburse a portion of burial and funeral costs for the families of those Kentuckians who have died from COVID-19.
Beshear said the memorial will “remind future generations of the hardships the entire commonwealth endured during this difficult time, and the sacrifices we made to overcome it.”
The state’s official rate of Kentuckians testing positive is 3.99 percent. It has hovered below 4 percent since March 9. The overall positivity rate has steadily declined over the last nine weeks, but now it “may be plateauing,” Beshear said.
There are 464 people hospitalized with coronavirus — the lowest amount since July — 114 in intensive care and 67 on a ventilator. Seven residents and 10 staff in long-term care facilities have tested positive, bringing their total combined active cases to 222.
Any adult who wants a vaccine should have access to a one by the end of May, President Joe Biden vowed earlier this month. Kentucky plans to exceed that goal: “Our goal is to beat that [May 31] date,” Beshear said Monday, his confidence buoyed by supply boosts the state is expecting in late March and April.
Over the next “two months, [and] two weeks, every adult in Kentucky that wants a vaccine is going to be able to get one,” he said, adding that his office will release a schedule Thursday outlining when other priority groups can expect to get their vaccine.
Earlier on Monday, the state administered its one millionth coronavirus vaccine in a ceremony inside the Capitol Rotunda. The state diagnosed its first case of coronavirus on March 6, 2020, and three months ago, on December 14, began administering doses of the vaccine. “Think about how far we have come in our ability to fight this virus, and how fast,” Beshear said.
At least 1,002,356 people across the commonwealth have received their initial dose of a coronavirus vaccine — 142,166 of whom got their first shot last week, the governor said. The state’s 567 vaccination sites are targeting those in priority group 1C, which includes essential workers, adults over age 16 with certain at-risk health conditions, and people ages 60 and older.
More than 70 percent of the vaccines administered have gone to people age 50 and older. Overall, 22.4 percent of the state population has gotten at least an initial dose.
Beshear said he will continue to ease statewide restrictions meant to curb spread of the virus, as long as new cases continue declining. On Monday, licensed child care centers were allowed to resume traditional class sizes. Each facility will still need to screen all kids and adults for coronavirus symptoms, and outside visitors will be limited. Mixing children between classes will be prohibited.
“This is getting us closer to a new normal,” Beshear said.
This story was originally published March 15, 2021 at 4:24 PM.
