Kentucky hospitals 'never been more dire in my lifetime,' governor says
In hard-hit Kentucky, over 300 more National Guard members will be sent to help at 21 strained hospitals, Gov. Andy Beshear said.
Kentucky's positivity rate was above 14% Thursday as the state set new records for hospitalizations and patients on ventilators, the governor said.
![](https://s.abcnews.com/images/US/kentucky-covid-ambulance-gty-jt-210910_1631288008663_hpMain.jpg)
"In the past month, ventilator use at hospitals has nearly tripled due to the surge from the delta variant," Beshear tweeted. "Our hospital situation has never been more dire in my lifetime than it is right now. We cannot handle more sick individuals."
-ABC News' Will Gretsky