FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky reported its lowest daily number of new COVID-19 cases since the day after Christmas, continuing a downward trend still marred by high death counts, Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday.
The governor reported 1,003 new coronavirus cases in Kentucky and 40 more virus-related deaths. The statewide rate of people testing positive for COVID-19 was 7.78%, the lowest since Nov. 10.
Weekly numbers of new virus cases have declined in Kentucky for four straight weeks for the first time since the start of the pandemic, Beshear said. The statewide positivity rate also has fallen for four consecutive weeks.
“We’re moving in the right direction,” the governor said at a news conference.
In an update on inoculation efforts, Kentucky has received nearly 491,000 initial COVID-19 vaccine doses and more than 440,000 Kentuckians have had their first doses, Beshear said.
Black Kentuckians - who represent about 8% of Kentucky’s population - have received just 4.3% of vaccinations administered so far in which the person’s race was known, he said.
“That’s not acceptable,” the Democratic governor said. “It needs to be closer, at least, to the 8% which is the makeup of the population.”
One reason for the comparatively low percentage of Blacks receiving vaccinations is their underrepresentation in some professions prioritized for inoculations — health care, education and first responders, the governor said. That underscores a larger societal need to improve minority recruitment for those jobs, he said.
Hispanics have received just slightly more than 1% of vaccines when ethnicity was known.
Beshear expressed his commitment to improving those vaccination rates.
“We look forward to expanding our network of partners in this effort and working to reach people who need access to this vaccine and need a little extra assistance in getting it, so they can have the same benefit as everyone else,” said Dr. Steven Stack, Kentucky’s public health commissioner.
The state is working on multiple fronts to deal with “vaccine hesitancy” among some minorities, Beshear said.
Meanwhile, the governor credited mask wearing and adherence to social distancing for the state’s recent trend of lower weekly virus cases and positivity rates.
“Remember it’s fragile,” he said. “We let our guard down, everything changes.”
But the state’s virus-related death rate remains too high, the governor said.
With the 40 additional deaths announced Monday, the state’s death toll rose to at least 4,091 since the pandemic began. Kentucky has reported more than 378,000 virus cases.
More than 1,100 virus patients are hospitalized in Kentucky, including 274 in intensive-care units.
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