3,691 new Kentucky COVID-19 cases and 22 deaths. Positivity rate down for 8th day.
Gov. Andy Beshear announced 3,691 new cases of COVID-19 in Kentucky on Friday and 22 additional deaths, lifting the state’s case total to 217,120 and the death toll to 2,168.
While Friday’s new case tally is the eighth highest single-day increase, and as the state is “still watching” for any case spikes related to people visiting with family and friends and sharing food over Thanksgiving, “we are making progress in our fight against this invisible enemy,” Beshear said in a written update.
Friday’s deaths included three people in their 50s; five people in their 60s; two people in their 70s; 10 people in their 80s; and two people in their 90s.
On Friday, for the first time since November 28, the rate of Kentuckians testing positive fell below 9 percent, to 8.86 percent. The positivity rate across the state, a seven-day average, has been consecutively declining for the last eight days. Beshear lauded this as an indicator that “wearing a mask and staying socially distant . . . are working.”
All but two of Kentucky’s 120 counties, however — Owsley County and Menifee County — were still reporting severe levels of spread Friday to be categorized by the Department for Public Health’s incidence rate map as in the red zone. Both Owsley and Menifee counties were a tier below red, in the orange.
There are 1,717 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Kentucky (39 fewer than on Thursday), and, of those patients, 432 are in intensive care (10 fewer) and 253 are on ventilators (22 more).
Fayette, Kenton, Boone, Pulaski, Warren and Hardin counties reported 100 or more new cases on Friday. Jefferson County reported 513.
There are more than 4,100 active cases among nursing home residents and staff, 380 of which were new Friday.
This story was originally published December 11, 2020 at 5:02 PM.
