Kentucky coronavirus catastrophe: Beshear announces record high cases and deaths
Gov. Andy Beshear on Friday announced 3,173 new cases of COVID-19 in Kentucky and 25 deaths — both single-day records — lifting the state’s case total to 132,844 and bringing the death toll to 1,647.
“Like almost every state in America, we are seeing a surge here in Kentucky that is concerning and deadly,” Beshear said in a written statement. “But like every state in America, the power to stop it is in our hands.”
The positivity rate is nearing 9 percent, landing on Friday at 8.68 percent, another troubling sign that the speed of spread is accelerating across the commonwealth. Eighty percent of Kentucky’s counties are in the “red zone” and reporting critical levels of spread.
“This is the toughest spot we’ve been in so far,” Beshear said, again pleading with Kentuckians to wear a mask and try to reduce their in-person activities. “We cannot let this escalation continue. Too many of us are hurting and too many of us are dying.”
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Nursing home residents continue to be most at risk for contracting and dying from the virus, and on Friday, 166 more nursing home residents and 131 staff had tested positive, meaning there are nearly 2,500 active cases among residents and staff in those facilities statewide. Beshear announced Friday the death of another veteran from the Thomson-Hood Veterans Center in Wilmore, where an outbreak has infected nearly 60 staff and at least 85 residents, more than 20 of whom have now died.
More than 1,100 K-12 students tested positive for the virus this week, as did 424 teachers and staff. At least 5,221 students and 926 staff were in quarantine this week from exposure, according to the school coronavirus dashboard. Across Kentucky colleges and universities, 570 students and nine faculty and staff have tested positive in the last two weeks.
“Please follow those red zone county recommendations and school recommendations. You must do your part,” Beshear said. “If you are not wearing a mask, you are putting yourself at personal risk. We cannot let this escalation continue. Everybody’s got to pull their weight. Come on, Team Kentucky. Too many of us are hurting and too many of us are dying.”
Another 47 people have been hospitalized with the virus in the last day, totaling 1,358. Of those, 307 are in intensive care — eight more people than Thursday — and 147 are on ventilators, 16 fewer than Thursday. The deaths announced Friday included people in their 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.
This story was originally published November 13, 2020 at 4:41 PM.
