New Kentucky COVID-19 cases top 1,000 for a second day in a row, a pandemic first
Gov. Andy Beshear announced 1,004 new cases of COVID-19 in Kentucky on Wednesday, bringing the state’s total number of cases to 68,840. He also announced four more deaths from the virus, putting the death toll at 1,174.
Beshear said it’s the first time that more than 1,000 new cases have been reported in two consecutive days; Tuesday brought 1,018 new cases. The Democratic governor said Kentucky is in its third coronavirus surge, and the state this week is on track to surpass last week’s record of roughly 5,000 new cases.
“1,004 cases is a problem. It is not something we can be complacent about [or] accept as a new normal,” he said. “I need your help. We have to continue to be committed to doing the things that are going to stop that escalation,” namely wearing masks and social-distancing.
There were 20,444 cases in September and 241 deaths — 18 more deaths than the previous high of 223 deaths in April.
Despite the surge in new cases, Kentucky’s rate of positive tests, a seven-day average, has dropped slightly to 4.07 percent. There were 582,373 tests administered this month — more than double the previous monthly testing high — for a monthly positivity rate of 3.51 percent. So far, 1,459,816 tests have been conducted since early March.
In K-12 schools, another 41 students and 34 staff have contracted the virus, according to the state Department of Public Health. Thirty new schools have reported at least one case of the virus. There are 785 active cases among students and 376 active cases in staff.
Lexington returns to red COVID status
Fayette County had a case incidence rate of just over 25 cases per 100,000 people, putting it back in the “red” on Tuesday and categorizing spread as “critical,” according to the state’s color-coded map. When a county hits this point, the state urges schools within the county to avoid in-person instruction and cancel athletic events. Fayette County Public Schools remain virtual and have yet to decide when in-person classes will begin, though some small groups of elementary students could return to the classroom late next month for a few hours at a time.
At state colleges and universities, 119 more students and two staff have tested positive, and two more schools have reported at least one case of the coronavirus. There are 1,499 Kentucky college students who actively have the virus.
Sixty-five residents and 41 staff in nursing and assisted living homes have tested positive, Beshear said, bringing the total number of active cases to 611 residents and 423 staff.
There are 541 people hospitalized with the virus in Kentucky, 126 of whom are in intensive care.
This story was originally published September 30, 2020 at 4:50 PM.
