FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — Gov. Andy Beshear announced that there are 721 new COVID-19 cases and 13 new coronavirus-related deaths in the state of Kentucky.
Eighty-one of the newly reported cases were from children ages 18 and younger, of which 15 were children ages 5 and under. The youngest was a 6-month-old from Warren County.
“Our positivity rate is down from yesterday but we need to continue to push that number down,” said Gov. Beshear.
“We need you to continue to mask up, stay socially distant and do what it takes to beat COVID-19. This thing is deadly and it’s real so let’s treat it as such.”
As of Saturday, there have been at least 990,957 coronavirus tests performed in Kentucky. The positivity rate currently stands at 4.14%. At least 10,872 Kentuckians have recovered from the virus.
After a recent spike in new daily cases and a daily record for deaths reported Thursday, Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner of the Department for Public Health, noted news relating to the wait for a COVID-19 vaccine.
“As we wait for a vaccine, there’s one thing we can do. We can get an immunization that already exists: the flu vaccine. Protecting ourselves against the flu is more important than ever. An influenza outbreak on top of the COVID-19 pandemic could be disastrous this fall and winter. The health care systems upon which Kentuckians rely could be overwhelmed by what some say is a looming ‘twindemic.’”
If Kentuckians don’t follow guidelines, such as social distancing, mask-wearing and hand-washing, we could be headed into "the worst fall, from a public health perspective, that we've seen in a long time,” Dr. Stack said.
“Flu shots are widely available right now, and this weekend is as good a time as any to see your primary care provider or head to a clinic, drug store or other place offering it,” Dr. Stack said. “In some cases, there’s even no charge, so please, take one for the team. Take one for Team Kentucky.”
