This Jan. 22, 2021 photo shows Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, Gov. Andy Beshear and Kentucky first lady Britainy Beshear placing flags outside the state Capitol in honor of the lives lost to COVID-19. At the time, 3,301 flags were placed at the capitol, which reflected the lives lost as of Jan. 21. As of Oct. 7, 2021, more than 9,000 Kentuckians have died because of the illness.Â
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky’s governor says the state’s coronavirus-related death toll has surpassed 9,000.
Gov. Andy Beshear says it’s a grim reminder of the trauma still being caused by the pandemic even as virus cases and hospitalizations trend downward.
The state’s daily COVID-19 report will be released later Thursday. But the governor says it will include at least 50 more virus-related deaths, pushing the statewide death toll past 9,000.
Meanwhile, he says virus-related hospitalizations in Kentucky have dropped 17% in the past week, easing pressure on the state’s beleaguered hospitals.
On Jan. 22, Gov. Andy Beshear, Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman and first lady Britainy Beshear took part in a ceremony to honor the memory of those lost to COVID-19 in Kentucky.
WATCH: Flags placed at Kentucky Capitol in honor of lives lost to COVID-19
That day, 3,301 flags were placed at the Capitol, which reflected the lives lost as of Jan. 21. As of Oct. 7, 2021, more than 9,000 Kentuckians have died because of the illness.Â
