Beshear extends mask mandate; Kentucky reports 1,623 new COVID-19 cases and 35 deaths

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentuckians will be asked to follow a mask mandate for another 30 days as the commonwealth continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.

The mask mandate was set to expire Tuesday. Announcing the extension Monday, Gov. Andy Beshear said it is "absolutely critical" that Kentuckians continue to wear masks "until enough people in the commonwealth have been vaccinated to where we can protect the most vulnerable."

"To lift this mandate now would leave us vulnerable at a time that we can see a light at the end of the tunnel and where we are headed for victory," he added.

Beshear on Monday reported 1,623 new COVID-19 cases alongside 35 more deaths in which the virus was a contributing factor.

Of the new cases Monday, 284 were confirmed in Jefferson County, according to data from Kentucky Public Health. As of Monday, data show 108 of the state's 120 counties experiencing a "critical" spread of the virus.

The state's positivity rate, which measures the proportion of coronavirus tests returning positive, rose slightly from 8.81% on Sunday to 8.85% on Monday.

The deaths reported Monday bring Kentucky to 3,780 reported since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. Among the victims Monday, Beshear said, were two women, ages 45 and 78, and seven men, ages 59, 67, 71, 77, 78, 79 and 95, from Jefferson County. According to data from Kentucky Public Health, more than half of the Kentuckians who have died from the coronavirus were age 70 or older.

As of Monday, 1,314 Kentuckians were hospitalized with COVID-19, according to Kentucky Public Health, while 337 were being treated for the virus in intensive care units. More than 175 patients were on ventilators.

Health care officials as of Monday had administered 413,300 doses of coronavirus vaccines statewide, according to the Kentucky Department for Public Health's vaccination dashboard.

Beshear on Monday praised those who have helped the state ramp up its vaccination capacity since the first doses arrived in mid-December. According to data the governor shared during his briefing from the state Capitol, health care professionals administered first doses of the two-shot immunization to 63,310 individuals during the week beginning Jan. 26. The state has been supplied 56,175 vaccine doses each of the past two weeks, data show.

The only limitation on the state's vaccination efforts: "We have three problems right now: supply, supply, supply," Beshear said.

The state's first regional vaccination site is set to open Tuesday at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. Through a partnership with Kroger, the site will prioritize Kentuckians in Phase 1A and 1B of the state's vaccination plan.

Kentucky Transportation Secretary Jim Gray, who is helping coordinate the regional vaccination sites, advised anyone with an appointment at the site in the coming days to bring their IDs and some patience.

"Once inside (the site), it could take up to up to a half hour," Gray said. "We hope it's not going to take that long. I've heard of locations where it's not taking that long. But it could take up to a half hour or more to get your vaccine and then to wait the required 15-minute observation period after the shot."

Appointments at the regional site filled up quickly over the past week. Gray advised Kentuckians to continue checking for open slots online (click here). More sites will be announced in the coming weeks, according to Gray, who said the sites' locations will be determined by population density and drive time.

"The goal is that no one will have to drive more than one county away to get a vaccine," he said. "We're not there yet, but that is the goal."

For most people, COVID-19 causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up within weeks. The vast majority of people recover. Of Kentucky's 364,507 confirmed cases reported since March, at least 43,492 have recovered, according to Kentucky Public Health.

But for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause severe symptoms and be fatal

To find a COVID-19 testing location near you, click here.

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