KY reports 721 new COVID-19 cases Saturday; Lexington has a new single-day high
For the second time in two days, Lexington on Saturday set a new single-day record for new coronavirus cases, with 167 cases reported, while Kentucky as a whole reported 721 new cases and 13 more deaths.
The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department said three more people from Lexington — two in their 90s and one in their 70s — have died as a result of the virus, bringing the total deaths for the city to 69.
“We are continuing to see a rise in cases among University of Kentucky students,” the health department said in a Facebook post Saturday morning.
UK has had 1,347 COVID-19 cases among students who are Fayette County residents, including 83 announced Saturday. The health department said students who commute from other counties or go back home for isolation are not included in those numbers.
Lexington has had 7,000 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, including 439 in the last three days. The previous one-day high was set Friday, with 149 cases.
Gov. Andy Beshear said the 721 new coronavirus cases in Kentucky Saturday brought the state’s total to 56,415 since March.
The 13 deaths reported Saturday brought the state’s total lives lost as a result of the pandemic to 1,057. The deaths included four people each from Jefferson and Warren counties, and one person each from Barren, Bell, Logan, Muhlenberg and Simpson counties.
The positivity rate as of Saturday was 4.14 percent.
“Our positivity rate is down from yesterday but we need to continue to push that number down,” Beshear said in a news release.
Of the new cases reported Saturday, 81 were among children 18 and under, 15 of which were among children ages 5 and under.
Kentucky’s public health commissioner, Dr. Steven Stack, encouraged Kentuckians to get a flu vaccine.
“Protecting ourselves against the flu is more important than ever,” he said in Saturday’s news release. “An influenza outbreak on top of the COVID-19 pandemic could be disastrous this fall and winter. The health care systems upon which Kentuckians rely could be overwhelmed by what some say is a looming ‘twindemic.’”
This story was originally published September 12, 2020 at 3:09 PM.
