In what continues to be a strong trend in the right direction, new COVID-19 cases dropped for a fourth-straight week in Kentucky — and testing positivity fell to 12.74%.
During his weekly COVID-19 update, Governor Andy Beshear noted this is the lowest number of active cases in the Commonwealth in the last two months, and that this steady decline has now fallen below Delta’s peak of infections.
Just three weeks ago, testing positivity was much, much higher.
Per Beshear, Saturday saw 3,564 new cases diagnosed and 32 new deaths assessed, Sunday had 1,422 new cases and 29 new deaths, and Monday had the fewest new cases since December 2021 at 969 (with 21 new deaths).
The governor added that Kentucky’s COVID-19 death rate continues to trend toward those younger and unvaccinated — but that all facets of medical attention for COVID-19 remain on the decline.
Things look “promising” for a fully open spring and early summer, and Beshear said his hope is for people to remain vigilant with indoor masking and distancing guidelines for just a couple of more weeks — before new guidelines will be released.
Kentucky’s officials diagnosed more than 25,000 new cases of COVID-19 last week, and while that remains to be one of the higher weeks of cases since the pandemic began in March 2020 — it’s a significant decrease from a month ago.
Beshear said vaccination and booster rates have slowed across Kentucky. While the eligible population of the state approaches the 70% vaccination mark, he said his biggest concern remains school-aged children from 5-to-18, which remain to be some of the heaviest unvaccinated populations in the state.
It’s this concern that Beshear hopes school districts discuss when working through their masking policies.
More than 3,400 people received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine this weekend, while more than 4,000 became fully vaccinated, and more than 5,900 received a booster.
Beshear said at no point since vaccines have been made available to the public, has the state experienced a day with zero COVID-19 inoculations.