Kentucky records 65 deaths from COVID-19 as positivity rate soars above 13 percent
As Gov. Andy Beshear announced 4,849 new cases of COVID-19 in Kentucky Wednesday — the third highest-single day increase in the pandemic — he warned that the state’s hospitals are “overrun” and pleaded with people to get vaccinated.
The governor also announced 65 new deaths, 57 of which occurred in August.
“Today we’re reporting our third-highest day ever at a time when we could defeat the virus with vaccinations,” he said in a short video. More than 30% of Wednesday’s new cases are in kids and teenagers age 18 and younger.
“Our hospitals are overrun. We are seeing and will see significant death moving forward,” Beshear said, asking people to help stop that inevitability.
The rate of Kentuckians testing positive continues to increase, hitting a record 13.16% Wednesday, up from 12.89% on Tuesday. Hospitalizations continue to climb, too; 60 more people were hospitalized with coronavirus in Kentucky between Tuesday and late Wednesday afternoon, bringing the total number to 2,074, while 549 people are in intensive care units and 338 are relying on ventilators to breathe.
The governor said people who refuse vaccination or to wear a mask in necessary settings are simply sitting idly by while devastation occurs around them. He asked the 44% of residents who aren’t yet vaccinated not to be like former Roman Emperor Nero who famously “fiddled while Rome burned.”
“I’m sure there are some that would say it’s Nero’s individual liberty to just fiddle while everything burns down. But I think he had a responsibility to protect the people around him,” Beshear said, again begging people to get their shots, wear a mask, and avoid large indoor gatherings.
This story was originally published August 25, 2021 at 5:41 PM.
