Beshear announces 5 percent increase in vaccine supply

Gov. Andy Beshear announced Tuesday that Kentucky’s vaccine supply will increase by an additional 5 percent resulting in the state’s supply having increased by 22 percent by the week of Feb. 8 as compared to the week of Jan. 25.

Whitley County

The Whitley County Health Department announced 20 additional COVID–19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the county’s total to 3,088.

There are currently 219 active cases, of which 13 are hospitalized.

With the new cases, Whitley County’s COVID–19 incidence rate stands at 69.3.

Laurel County

The Laurel County Health Department announced 31 additional cases of COVID–19 on Tuesday, bringing the county’s total to 5,498.

There are currently 78 individuals hospitalized.

With the new cases, Laurel County COVID–19 incidence rate stands at 62.7.

Knox County

The Knox County Kentucky Health Department announced 42 additional cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing the county’s total to 2,843.

Fifteen of the new cases involved children, officials stated.

There are currently 178 active cases in Knox County.

With the additional cases, Knox County’s COVID–19 incidence rate stands at 76.6.

Bell County

The Bell County Health Department announced 26 additional COVID–19 cases, bringing the county’s total to 2,472.

There are currently 125 active cases, of which four are hospitalized.

With the additional cases, Bell County’s COVID–19 incidence rate stands at 41.2.

Statewide

Gov. Andy Beshear announced 2,443 additional COVID–19 cases in Kentucky on Tuesday, bringing the state’s total to 366,938.

Beshear reported 32 additional deaths, bringing the death toll to 3,812.

Beshear said 1,335 Kentuckians are currently hospitalized, of which 373 are in intensive care.

As of Tuesday, 109 of Kentucky’s 120 counties have a COVID–19 incidence rate greater than 25, which places them in the red zone.

Crittenden, Montgomery, Magoffin, Carlisle, Clark, Lee, Bath and Knott counties are orange zones.

Owsley, Ballard and Elliott counties are yellow zones.

Elliott County has the lowest incidence rate at 1.9.

Morgan County has the highest incidence rate at 127.7.

Tuesday was the fifth day in a row that the commonwealth’s COVID-19 positivity rate has remained under 9 percent.

“Here in Kentucky and across the county we are seeing case numbers declining and we want to continue to see that trend,” said Beshear. “Unfortunately, we also continue to see far more deaths than we’d like to. There are 13 individuals in this report who were only in their 50s and 60s when they passed away from this virus.”

“But there is really good news today, too,” said Beshear. “The president announced that his administration is increasing our supply another 5 percent. Again, our challenge is supply, supply, supply. Remember, we will get a vaccine to everybody, it’s just going to take some time.”