Kentucky infant with COVID-19 dies. 265 new coronavirus cases and 8 new deaths.
Gov. Andy Beshear announced 265 new cases of COVID-19 in Kentucky on Wednesday, bringing the state’s total number of cases to at least 10,410. Eight more people with the coronavirus have died, including a nine-month-old girl.
Of the infant’s death, Beshear said, “This is a reminder of how deadly this virus can be, how precious all of our lives are, and as a father of two kids . . I want this family to know, we are grieving for you. We care about you. I can’t imagine how you are feeling right now.”
It is not conclusive that the nine-month-old, who was from Hopkins County, died as a direct result of COVID-19, state Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack said. But since she had the virus when she died, the state’s protocol is to report it as a coronavirus death.
“In a normal world, without COVID-19, the cause of death probably would’ve been presumed to be SIDS,” or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, Stack said.
Investigation into the case will remain open, but it “may never be one of those things we come to find out for sure,” he said. Stack reminded parents, “for children [with the virus], they overwhelmingly do just fine.”
Beshear noted Wednesday’s uptick in cases — “obviously that number is up,” he said. “I don’t think this 265 is a cause for alarm, though it is at least a reminder. . . that this virus is still out there and spreading,” Beshear said. “We do have to watch this pretty carefully.”
Ten more residents in nursing homes have also died, and 15 more residents have been diagnosed with the new coronavirus. In total, at least 450 people with the virus in Kentucky have now died — 253 of whom live in long-term care facilities.
The state is in the process of testing all nursing home residents. So far, about half of those facilities have been tested, some of which show no positive cases, Beshear said.
There are currently 488 in the hospital with the virus, 68 of whom are in intensive care. At least 3,283 have recovered.
At least 258,767 tests have been administered. Kroger will continue operating drive-thru testing sites next week in Lexington, Louisville, Bowling Green and Elizabethtown. Anyone can sign up at krogerhealth.com/covidtesting.
Lexington reported 17 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the city’s total to 798. The rate of active infection in Kentucky’s second largest city has been on the incline since mid-May, around the time many people returned to work and church.
Almost 90 new cases of the virus have been diagnosed in Fayette County since Saturday, the majority of which are spread across the community and not in the Federal Medical Center — a virus hot spot where at least 268 people, mostly inmates, have been infected over the last several weeks.
Stack again pleaded with Kentuckians to continue taking the virus seriously, saying, definitively, “we will have a resurgence.”
“I have tried all along not to be sensational about these things, but to be factual and even-handed,” but, “this is a very serious disease. It is not influenza.”
He pleaded with people to continue wearing masks and social distancing. Remember, he said, “It can rapidly spread. It can rapidly overcome the health care system,” and, “If we’re lucky,” the summer heat may help slow the spread of the virus, but when that resurgence of cases happens, “we have to hope the steps we’ve taken to prepare in other ways will help us navigate that.”
As for the hundreds of Kentuckians who plan to continue protesting police violence against black people, as they have been for nearly a week, Beshear asked those participating to not only wear masks, but, “in the coming days, get tested.”
Beshear also announced that he does not plan to call the Kentucky General Assembly into a special session to deal with a Road Fund budget shortfall caused by the pandemic. He and legislative leaders have come to an agreement on how to cut spending by more than 5 percent for the remainder of this fiscal year.
This story was originally published June 3, 2020 at 4:33 PM.
