Kentucky’s positivity rate dropped below 10 percent on Monday.

According to the state’s website at kentucky.gov, Gov. Andy Beshear announced on Monday that COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, ICU admittance and ventilator usage is declining due to more Kentuckians wearing a mask indoors and getting vaccinated.

“Overall, today’s report is positive in the trends, but what is still really hard is the loss of life we continue to see, and that loss being preventable,” said Gov. Beshear. “This is going to be a scar that the American people carry with us moving forward. That’s why we need to make sure the cases are not only dropping but dropping at a significant rate. We need to accelerate the trend.”

Beshear announced 1,239 new cases on Monday, as well as 26 deaths. He also announced 2,511 new cases were reported on Saturday and 1,201 new cases on Sunday. Saturday and Sunday saw a combined 76 deaths reported in Kentucky. As of Monday, there were 1,668 people hospitalized in Kentucky due to the virus, with 496 individuals in ICU and 332 on a ventilator.

The state’s positivity rate was 9.31 percent on Monday.

Bell County reported 19 new COVID-19 cases on Monday.

According to the Bell County Health Department, as of Monday there were 18 individuals hospitalized across the county with the virus. Of the 18 hospitalized, three were vaccinated and 15 non-vaccinated. Those hospitalized ranged from 21 to 79 years of age.

There were 301 active individual cases in Bell County on Monday.

There have been 79 COVID-19 related deaths in Bell County. The deaths have occurred in people with ages ranging from 23 to 88 years of age, with 4 individuals having been vaccinated and 75 non-vaccinated.

The Bell County Health Department recommends the following steps to help slow the spread of Covid 19:

• Wash hands with soap and water before eating, after blowing your nose, coughing, sneezing, or after using the restroom;

• Avoid contact with people who are sick;

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth;

• Wear a mask when in public and social distancing is difficult.