LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday he believes the state is still about two weeks away from a peak in omicron cases of COVID-19.
The positivity rate hit a new record in the state Thursday at 31.37% — the highest ever reported since the start of the pandemic.
Beshear said new COVID-19 cases this week will also set a record, adding that omicron is everywhere as cases continue to rise for the third week in a row.
"We think we'll see the peak in the next week and a half to two weeks," he said during a news conference Thursday. "But even the week or so where we hope it plummets significantly, there will still be a ton out there."
Hospitalizations in Kentucky are about as high as they were at the peak of the surge in the delta variant of COVID-19. According to state data, 2,298 Kentuckians were in the hospital, with 434 in an intensive care unit and 271 on ventilators.
Beshear is recommending all Kentuckians wear a mask, get vaccinated and get their booster shots if eligible.
"Almost everyone under 60 that has passed away from COVID has been unvaccinated," he said. "And those numbers are increasing of people who have died in those age groups."
On Thursday, Gov. Beshear announced 13,614 newly reported cases of COVID-19, 20 deaths and a record positivity rate of 31.37%. The Governor emphasized the importance of vaccines and boosters and encouraged Kentuckians to mask up indoors. pic.twitter.com/VWPukQbWBZ
— Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) January 20, 2022
As of Thursday, Beshear said 2,833,323 Kentuckians had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, with 980,565 having received a booster.
Kentucky reported 13,614 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, along with 20 additional deaths related to the virus.
To date, 1,040,420 Kentuckians have tested positive for COVID-19, according to state data, with 12,659 deaths related to the virus.
As of Thursday, the state's seven-day COVID-19 incidence rate map showed all of Kentucky's 120 counties in red, which means the rate is high at more than 25 per 100,000 people are testing positive for the virus.
For a breakdown of the state's current cases, click here. For a breakdown of cases in Jefferson County, click here.
For more information about the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including information on testing sites and vaccines, click here.
Earlier this week, the White House launched a website for Americans to request free at-home COVID-19 tests. People can order four tests per residential address. To order yours, click here. President Joe Biden said the tests are expected to ship out via the U.S. Postal Service towards the end of January.
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