FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky's governor says the state's coronavirus-related death toll has surpassed 9,000.
Gov. Andy Beshear says it's a grim reminder of the trauma still being inflicted by the pandemic even as virus cases and hospitalizations trend downward.
The state reported 50 more virus-related deaths in its daily report Thursday. That increased the statewide death count to at least 9,022 since the pandemic began.
Meanwhile, the governor says virus-related hospitalizations in Kentucky have dropped 17% in the past week, easing pressure on the state’s beleaguered facilities.
Still, 58 of 96 hospitals in the state continue to report critical staffing shortages.
