Gov. Andy Beshear on Saturday updated Kentuckians on the state’s continuing efforts to fight the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) in the commonwealth.
“Make sure you’re protecting your family, yourself and one another,” said Gov. Beshear.
As of 4 p.m. Sept. 12, Gov. Beshear reported that there are at least 56,415 cases in Kentucky, 721 of which were newly reported Saturday. 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.
Unfortunately, Gov. Beshear reported 13 new deaths Saturday, raising the total to 1,057 Kentuckians lost to the virus.
The deaths reported Saturday include an 89-year-old man from Barren County; an 83-year-old woman from Bell County; two women, ages 80 and 83, and two men, both age 81, from Jefferson County; a 78-year-old woman from Logan County; a 59-year-old woman from Muhlenberg County; a 76-year-old woman from Simpson County; and three women, ages 62, 81 and 93, and a 72-year-old man from Warren County.
“We need you to continue to mask up, stay socially distant and do what it takes to beat COVID-19,” said Gov. Beshear. “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.”
(provided by the Office of Gov. Andy Beshear)
