More than 9,000 Kentuckians have now died from COVID-19.
The new total is 9,022, up from 8,972 on Wednesday.
“It’s the largest loss of life over a period of time than any of us have ever lived through,” Gov. Andy Beshear said during a midday press conference. “And while we are all excited about the trends and where we’re going, let’s remember that we’re going to live with these scars and trauma, difficulty and loss for a while so let’s make sure that we give ourselves space.”
Beshear was referring to downward trends in the state’s hospitalization and case positivity rates. As of Thursday afternoon, the positivity rate was under 9% — at 8.67%. Hospitalizations, too, have steadily declined during the last few weeks, with 1,578 hospitalized with COVID-19 Thursday, the lowest daily total since Aug. 16.
After taking six months to hit the first 1,000 deaths, the tragic milestones came faster for Kentucky.
Just last month, the commonwealth surpassed 8,000 deaths, after hitting 7,000 in June. In March, Kentucky surpassed both the 5,000- and 6,000-death marks.
Background: COVID-19 fatalities hit 3,000 in Kentucky as death rate accelerates
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Reach health reporter Sarah Ladd at sladd@courier-journal.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ladd_sarah.