Gov. Andy Beshear said that there has been a substantial decrease in Kentucky’s new COVID-19 cases, however deaths remain high.
“For the most part we have good news. Cases are significantly, if not rapidly, declining,” said Gov. Beshear. “We believe the weather and a lot of places closing for a number of days last week did have an impact. This may make the drop in cases look a little bit larger than it would otherwise be. Regardless, we are definitely moving in the right direction.”
The Governor added, “This is still the fifth-highest week in our entire COVID experience. So while we are moving in the right direction, there is still a whole lot of virus out there. We ask people to be careful in the next couple weeks. Next month we may see really serious reductions which might get us to a place we can all be really excited about.”
COVID-19 Case Information, Vaccinations Update
Number of people who have received at least one vaccine dose in Kentucky: 2,862,756
Number of people who have received their vaccination booster in Kentucky: 1,044,257
Feb. 5, Cases: 4,816
Feb. 5, Deaths: 33
Feb. 6, Cases: 3,696
Feb. 6, Deaths: 31
New Cases Today: 3,835
New Deaths: 29
Today’s Positivity Rate: 23.51%
Current Hospitalizations: 2,124
Current Intensive Care Admittances: 414
Currently on Ventilators: 207
During the week ending Feb. 6, 46,639 cases were reported in Kentucky and the average test positivity rate was 23.95%.
The Governor reviewed a slide from the CDC and said that the use of face masks or respirators is recommended to reduce the transmission of COVID-19. Wearing a mask in indoor public spaces lowers the odds of testing positive for COVID-19.
The Governor said that Pfizer and BioNTech are requesting emergency use authorization for their two-dose COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 6 months up to 5 years. The FDA’s advisory committee will meet February 15 to discuss the submission.
Super Bowl Guidance
The Governor provided tips to enjoy Super Bowl Sunday safely. Gov. Beshear encouraged Kentuckians to:
• Stay home if sick;
• Require attendees to be vaccinated and boosted;
• Get tested that day, or as close as possible;
• Wear masks if everyone is not vaccinated; and
• Maintain a smaller attendance size.
