Governor Beshear said coronavirus activity across Kentucky is escalating with the highest case counts in nine weeks. During his Monday briefing, the governor said a much larger number of people got shots, including more than 45,000 boosters, over the weekend.
Beshear noted there are no immediate concerns of hospitals being overwhelmed, but he added hospital staffs are still being challenged. “In the coming weeks I hope that we’ll be able to announce some changes to start boosting our nurses and other workforce that can be out there,” said Beshear.
The governor reported more than 60 deaths for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. He said these losses came before the Thanksgiving Holiday period.
With an increasing number of coronavirus cases, Governor Beshear said previously employed preventive measures need to be considered. The governor said businesses with people in close contact should require masking. “I think all of our schools need to get back to universal masking because how quickly it spreads in a community through schools. With this escalation we have 80 to 90 counties, at least, in the red,” explained Beshear.
The governor said the new variant Amicron has not been confirmed in Kentucky, but he indicated it’s likely it is within the state’s boundaries.
Beshear said the key messages heading into the Christmas holiday period include getting vaccinated, getting boosters, not going out if feeling sick, and keeping attendance numbers low.
