Kentucky coronavirus deaths top 1,500. More than 1,000 hospitalized. 1,795 new cases.
As thousands of Kentuckians cast ballots in person around the state on Tuesday, Gov. Andy Beshear announced 1,795 new cases of COVID-19, lifting the case total to 111,379 and continuing the state’s concerning escalation of new infections.
“It continues to be a difficult time in the commonwealth where, every day, things appear to be getting worse and more concerning,” Beshear.
Tuesday’s new amount is the sixth-highest daily increase since the virus first arrived in Kentucky. The governor also announced 11 additional deaths attributable to the virus, edging the death toll up to 1,503.
Beshear called surpassing 1,500 deaths a “grim milestone, and it appears that we are going to lose significant numbers of additional Kentuckians unless we pick it up, unless we do better.”
Jefferson, Fayette, Warren, Laurel and Boone counties led the state on Tuesday with new cases, Beshear said. The statewide positivity rate is 6.24 percent. At least 2,086,115 tests have been administered, 9,858 of which were new.
More than 70 counties across the state are in the “red zone,” including Fayette, Woodford, Scott and Jessamine counties. In these places, in-person school, visitation at nursing homes and general activities in public are discouraged.
COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to rise around the state. There were 1,037 people hospitalized on Tuesday — an increase of 49 people from Monday. Close to 270 of those hospitalized are in intensive care and 116 are on a ventilator.
In K-12 schools, 112 additional students and 65 staff were reported positive on Monday, according to the state’s school coronavirus dashboard, and at least 1,200 students and 174 staff were asked to quarantine because of virus exposure.
Though many Kentuckians were likely preoccupied with following the outcome of Election Day races, Beshear urged people not to forget that the virus is still spreading across the commonwealth at a dangerous pace.
“I know people are focused on the elections today,” he said, but when Kentuckians wake up on Wednesday, “no matter who wins or who loses, we are still at war with this virus.”
This story was originally published November 3, 2020 at 4:21 PM.
