776 new Kentucky coronavirus cases and eight deaths since Friday. Cases top 17,000.
There have been 776 new cases of COVID-19 in Kentucky since Friday, according to state data, bringing the total number of cases to at least 17,152. Eight more people with the virus have died, putting the death toll at 593.
Before removing duplicates, the state reported 255 new cases on Saturday, July 4, another 280 on Sunday, and 268 on Monday.
“While the day-to-day reported cases fluctuate somewhat, our numbers have been holding remarkably steady even as other states have experienced sharp increases,” Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday in a written update.
“We can stay on this plateau and hopefully move to a steady decline in cases only if we follow the guidelines for social distancing, hand-washing, wearing cloth face masks and limiting our exposure to crowds,” the governor said, adding that Kentuckians “need to get tested regularly” and answer the phone when they’re called by contact tracers.
Monday’s deaths included a 51-year-old woman, an 89-year-old woman and a 90-year-old man from Jefferson County; a 72-year-old man from Hopkins County; an 88-year-old man from Nelson County; a 96-year-old woman from Shelby County; and two women from Fayette County, who were 100 and a 103.
“We need to remember this is still a deadly virus,” Beshear said.
Residents and staff in at least five more nursing homes also tested positive over the holiday weekend. At least 565 residents and 321 staff currently have the virus.
Currently, there are 433 people hospitalized with the virus and 109 are in intensive care. At least 4,785 have recovered.
Upwards of 435,471 tests have been administered. Last week, 39,846 people were tested across Kentucky, and the rate of those who tested positive was 3.7 percent.
The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department reported 76 new cases of the virus and one new death over the holiday weekend, putting the case total at 1,706.
New infections in Kentucky’s second largest city have been on the rise since the economy began reopening in late May. The city’s total case number more than doubled in June, which saw the five highest single-day increases that weren’t caused by the outbreak at the Federal Medical Center. June also brought record numbers of hospitalizations and deaths in Lexington, according to health department data.
The death reported over the weekend in Lexington was a nursing home resident at Pine Meadows, making it the sixth virus-related death at that facility.
This story was originally published July 6, 2020 at 5:26 PM.
