FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — There are 2,953 new cases of COVID-19 as vaccines continue to roll out to frontline workers and people living in long-term care facilities.
On Wednesday, Gov. Andy Beshear updated Kentuckians on the state's vaccine rollout and COVID-19 case numbers.
"Team Kentucky, from the bottom of my heart – thank you. This war is far from over, but we’ve won another battle, beating back exponential growth of this virus in our state before Christmas," said Gov. Beshear. "I hope you all enjoy a wonderful holiday, even if it looks a little different this year. Please be careful so we can hold on to the progress we've made."
The Governor also announced that more state leaders received the vaccination against COVID-19 on Wednesday, including Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, Chief Judge Denise G. Clayton of the Kentucky Court of Appeals, acting Kentucky State Police Commissioner Phillip Burnett Jr. and Emergency Management Director Michael Dossett.
Other state leaders who received the vaccine Wednesday included Gov. Andy Beshear's chief of staff, La Tasha Buckner, his senior advisor, Rocky Adkins, and Virginia Moore, executive director of the Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
The vaccine rollout comes as 26 more people have died from the virus, bringing the total number of Kentuckians to die from COVID-19 to 2,466. The state's positivity rate is 8.35%, slightly lower than the day before.
1,644 Kentuckians are currently hospitalized from the virus, 413 are in the ICU, and 222 are on a ventilator.
Top counties with the most positive cases today are Jefferson, Fayette, Kenton, and Daviess. Each of these counties reported 100 or more new cases; Jefferson County alone reported 415.
Those reported lost to the virus today include a 95-year-old woman and a 77-year-old man from Adair County; an 82-year-old man from Allen County; a 90-year-old woman and a 69-year-old man from Bath County; an 85-year-old man from Carter County; an 85-year-old man from Casey County; an 87-year-old woman from Clinton County; an 89-year-old woman from Daviess County; two women, ages 85 and 89, from Fayette County; a 69-year-old man from Greenup County; two men, ages 73 and 89, from Harlan County; an 85-year-old woman from Hopkins County; an 82-year-old woman and two men, ages 66 and 90, from Jefferson County; a 69-year-old man from Letcher County; two women, ages 69 and 79, from Lincoln County; an 83-year-old man from Madison County; a 90-year-old woman from Mason County; and two women ages, 62 and 63, and a 76-year-old man from Pulaski County.
