Gov. Andy Beshear has again announced more than 3,600 new COVID-19 cases in a single day, with the first vaccine expected to arrive in the coming weeks.
The 3,614 new cases reported on Friday come one day after the second-highest total of the pandemic. The three highest daily death tolls in the pandemic have all come this week, between Tuesday and Thursday.
The first shipments of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine are expected within two weeks.
Beshear pushed for Kentuckians to “stay strong” in the fight against the virus in announcing Friday’s numbers.
“These vaccines are right around the corner,” Beshear said in the release. “Within the next 10 days or so we might be giving out the first vaccines. That means every loss of life and every extra infection that happens between now and then is entirely avoidable. So let’s fight harder than we ever have and do our part as Team Kentucky.”
Beshear also announced 25 new deaths Friday. Nearly 1,800 Kentuckians are in the hospital with COVID-19, 409 are in the ICU and 230 are on ventilators.