Gov. Andy Beshear updated the death toll from last week's tornadoes to 76, down from 78 earlier reported.
He said in a news conference Monday that the change comes from three residents that were considered missing but were taken into account in another county.
A ninth person has died from injuries sustained at Mayfield Consumer Products, the candle factory that collapsed because of the storms. Eight everyone was pronounced dead right after the initial damage.
The governor asserted while all Kentuckians who were missing happen to be taken into account and there are no ongoing search and rescues, the fatality count may go up.
\”Seventy-six is devastating, it is too many Kentuckians to lose,\” he said. \”But you may still find people that are fighting to hold on that are available and they ended our prayers, our love, our support and so do their family members.\”
He also said all state roads are actually passable and make contact with services are nearly 99% restored.
Beshear also discussed the brand new COVID-19 omicron variant. Officials confirmed it had been present in Kentucky Friday evening.
Both Moderna and Pfizer have released findings that boosters provide more protection from the variant. Beshear said that’s more reason for Kentuckians to get the extra antibodies.
\”It might be that you simply still contract COVID, the omicron variant, if you are vaccinated, however it doesn't look like you're going to get very sick, or it is unlikely you will get sick,\” he said. \”If you're unvaccinated, [it] looks like it can hit you, and hit you pretty hard.\”
Beshear reported more than 5,300 new COVID cases from Saturday to Monday, and 93 deaths.
