695 new Kentucky coronavirus cases and 24 deaths. Another 23,000 vaccinated.
As Kentucky continues its accelerated rollout of the coronavirus vaccine, Gov. Andy Beshear announced 695 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, along with 24 more virus-related deaths.
Additionally, as the state conducts an audit of all coronavirus deaths in Kentucky dating back to November, Beshear confirmed that another 25 people died during that time from COVID-19, though their deaths weren’t initially counted. That raises Kentucky’s official coronavirus death toll to 5,863. A total of 422,694 people have contracted the virus in the commonwealth.
The statewide positivity rate is 2.85 percent — a slight drop from Tuesday’s 2.93 percent.
“Every day, as more Kentuckians are vaccinated, we get closer to our goal of defeating COVID-19,” Beshear said in a written update, reiterating that every resident over the age of 16 will become eligible for their dose of a coronavirus vaccine on or before April 12.
“We’re not just going to meet the president’s goal that every American adult will be able to sign up for vaccination appointments by May 1, “ he said, “we’re going to beat that goal by more than two weeks at least.”
At least 1,223,094 people have received their first dose in Kentucky — nearly 23,000 of which were received in the last day, according to the Kentucky Department for Public Health.
There are 438 people hospitalized with coronavirus, 103 of whom are in intensive care and 87 are on a ventilator. In long-term care facilities, two more residents and seven staff members have tested positive, bringing their total number of combined active cases to 138.
