‘We have to do better.’ 1,059 new Kentucky COVID-19 cases. Another record week likely.
Kentucky is expected to set another seven-day record for new COVID-19 cases, Gov. Andy Beshear said Friday as he announced 1,059 new cases, edging the state’s total up to 78,456.
“We continue to be in another escalation,” Beshear said in a written update. “This is the highest Friday in the last four weeks, and this will be our highest week, ever, when we finish it for the number of new COVID-19 cases.”
Discounting the 1,427 backlogged cases from the last month and a half that Fayette County submitted to the state earlier this week, the Kentucky Department of Health has counted 5,028 new cases of the virus since Sunday.
“We have to do better,” he said. “Folks, we really need you to wear your mask.”
He also said eight more people with the virus have died, raising the death toll to 1,242. Deaths announced Friday included a 48-year-old woman from Logan County, a 54-year-old woman from McCracken County and a 73-year-old woman from Daviess County.
The rate of positive tests continues to hover below 5 percent, and on Friday it was at 4.32 percent. The state has added 112,588 tests so far this week, for a total of 1,632,824.
In nursing homes, where the virus continues to spread aggressively, 42 residents and 62 staff have tested positive, according to the state Department of Public Health. At least 726 residents and 455 staff members are considered actively positive.
Beshear hasn’t provided an updated coronavirus count for K-12 schools or colleges and universities since Tuesday. But according to the K-12 dashboard, where district officials each day log new case information that isn’t yet audited by the state health department, 44 students and 31 staff were newly positive as of yesterday. At least 232 students and 46 staff are in quarantine.
According to the University of Kentucky’s internal dashboard, the university is monitoring 207 students who actively have the virus, 15 of whom are in isolation on campus.
Across the state, 679 people are hospitalized with the virus, 172 of whom are in intensive care.
This story was originally published October 9, 2020 at 5:22 PM.
