LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The new COVID-19 map shows how cases are declining across Kentucky.
Gov. Andy Beshear said in a press conference Monday both cases and hospitalizations are down across the state. The positivity rate is also down to 6.04%.
“[Other states] went through their decline earlier than we did,” said Beshear. He then said the initial incline hit Kentucky later than other states too.
Beshear said he will do another COVID-19 update next week and will “pause” the weekly press conferences going forward. He still plans to do Team Kentucky Updates.
“We’re seeing a steady decline in COVID-19 numbers,” said Gov. Beshear. “Some might worry that our cases are plateauing, but two weeks ago, we had President’s Day, so we believe that some of the cases that otherwise would have been in two weeks ago, ended up coming in last week. Our hope is that next week we will see an even larger decline.”
Beshear said the National Guard will be out of hospitals and food assistance programs on March 15.
National Guard members also helped back in the fall of 2021 with similar positions.
He also said there are still free at-home COVID-19 tests still available through the federal government.
The Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack said the new map will be updated early Friday instead of daily. He said this is a more sustainable and reliable way of reporting cases.
“Folks, we are in a phase now with vaccines, with therapies, with abundant access to testing and with all the information we know about this disease, we can hopefully now take individual responsibility in a different way and enable people to have more flexibility in how they live their lives, while still supporting vulnerable individuals,” said Stack.
Stack said Kentucky should support those who continue to wear masks who still follow the guidance from the CDC.
“Our actions still matter,” said Stack. “Being kind and caring for each other still makes a big difference.”
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