Kentucky coronavirus cases top 5,000. 253 new cases and 5 new deaths over weekend.
Kentucky’s number of new coronavirus cases increased by 253 this weekend, bringing the state’s total up to at least 5,130, Gov. Andy Beshear said Sunday, adding that the infection curve remains plateaued.
“Overall, that number is, again, right around what we’ve been seeing, even though our testing has ramped up,” the governor said. “It suggests, at the worst, we have plateaued.”
Broken down by days, 173 new cases were confirmed on Saturday, and 80 on Sunday, said Beshear, who, for the first time since Kentucky diagnosed its first case, did not hold a daily update on Saturday. Sunday’s numbers are low in part because many processing labs are closed.
Five more Kentuckians have died from virus-related complications, including four senior living residents, he said, bringing the total number of deaths to at least 253.
This weekend’s new cases include 52 in Jefferson County and 33 in Fayette County. Another 43 long-term care facility residents tested positive this weekend, as did nine staff members, he said.
At least 1,892 people have recovered from the virus, 329 are currently hospitalized and 170 are in intensive care units.
At least 58,408 COVID-19 tests have so far been administered in the state. All 1,200 inmates and staff at Muhlenberg County’s Green River Correctional Complex, a COVID-19 hotspot, were tested last week for the virus. Beshear said those test results will be announced in full on Monday, adding to what was reported over the weekend by the Muhlenberg County Health Department: 70 new cases at the complex were confirmed on Sunday — 67 inmates and three staff — for a total of 158 active cases.
Since the virus spreads easily, Beshear continues to warn against social gatherings of any kind, particularly large ones. But that didn’t stop close to 200 protesters, including some Republican members of the General Assembly, from gathering on Saturday at the Capitol, demanding he reopen the economy immediately.
He said it’s all right for Kentuckians to protest his decisions, but they should do it safely from their cars, not in person. Those in leadership positions should set examples for this behavior, he said.
At least five sitting Kentucky lawmakers spoke in person at Saturday’s protest — Rep. Savannah Maddox, R-Dry Ridge; Rep. Stan Lee, R-Lexington; Rep. David Hale, R-Wellington; Rep. Kim King, R-Harrodsburg; and Sen. John Schickel, R-Union.
“It’s OK to disagree, but if you are a leader that people listen to, be responsible in how you do it,” Beshear said, calling comments made by some of these leaders “reckless.”
Last month, when a handful of churches refused to cancel in-person services despite explicit mandates from Beshear to do so, attendees were told to quarantine for 14 days so as to not spread the virus to others. When asked about similar repercussions for protesters, Beshear said, “we’ll see about steps that are going to be taken.”
Visit Kentucky’s coronavirus website, kycovid19.ky.gov, for more guidance about the disease and testing options.
This story was originally published May 3, 2020 at 5:39 PM.
