Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear announced Monday 1,455 new coronavirus cases and 8 new deaths in Kentucky. The positivity rate has also declined, currently at 7.97%.
The number of deaths in Kentucky is now 2,563. The governor urged as the new year approaches to keep gatherings and celebrations small.
Currently, there are 1,552 Kentuckians hospitalized, 411 in ICU, and 217 on a ventilator. The counties with the most total cases in the state are Jefferson with 49,891 cases, Fayette with 22,723, and Warren with 9,804.
Beshear also announced the new federal COVID-19 relief bill signed by President Donald Trump on Sunday is offering $297,000,000 for rental assistance in Kentucky, not including Louisville and Lexington.
Kentucky Department for Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack discussed new information about the COVID-19 vaccine. Kentuckians who are at least 70 years old, first responders, and educators will be receiving the vaccination next. Beshear announced an additional 40 sites to receive the vaccine for the first time this week.
Stack said that “never in human history have new vaccines been created in less than 12 months to bring an end to a global pandemic.” However, he emphasized the difficulty and complexity of deploying these new vaccines. He said “we’ll get through this together, but patience is needed.”
At least 22,500 vaccines have been administered statewide: 17,752 to health care workers, 2,788 to local health departments, and 5,796 to long-term care residents and staff.
Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services Secretary Eric Friedlander said Walgreens and CVS have been able to provide vaccinations at more than 30 facilities.
“They’ve been good partners with us, and we’ll continue to be good partners with them,” Friedlander said.