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| Kentucky Health News chart compares daily case numbers with rolling average for past seven days. |
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| Dotted line on KHN chart shows trend for the last month. |
Kentucky Health News
Gov. Andy Beshear reported 258 new cases of the coronavirus in Kentucky Friday, the sixth day out of the last seven that the number has risen.
Following his recently revised schedule, Beshear did not hold a press conference Friday, but issued a press release. It did not emphasize the increase in cases, putting the number in the fifth paragraph and making no comments about recent trends.
Friday's numbers raised the state's case total to 13,454. While Beshear has said he will base his reopening decisions more on hospitalizations than daily case numbers, the press release did not mention those numbers, leaving them to the state's daily report.
The report showed 339 people in Kentucky hospitals with covid-19, and 64 of them under intensive care. The hospitalization number was the lowest of the week, and well under the averages of 387 for the last five days and 409 since June 11. Hospitalizations often drop on Fridays, but the number has generally declined since a high of 518 on June 4. Friday's intensive-care number was about average for the week.
“I know Kentuckians have what it takes to reopen as safely as possible,” Beshear said in the release. “We must continue to strike the balance between supporting our local economies and still cutting our contacts significantly.”
While social distancing and masks wearing are the two main prevention measures, Beshear said this week that people should also limit their daily activities to reduce exposure to the coronavirus and the pressure on their immune systems.
He said in the release, “As we realize that this fight will be a marathon, not a sprint, we have not lost heart. We have not lost our determination to protect each other. Instead, we have steeled ourselves to live in this new normal until we get a vaccine.”
Beshear reported two more deaths from covid-19, a 68-year-old man from Harlan County and a 95-year-old man in Franklin County, raising the death toll to 522.
“This year has been tough for everyone,” he said in the release. “But just imagine, in addition to all this fear and uncertainty and sudden change, also losing a loved one, and not being able to grieve with extended family and friends.” He has limited funeral homes to 40 people at a time.
The third and fourth paragraphs of the release recounted Beshear's Thursday proclamation of Friday, June 19 as Juneteenth National Freedom Day and noted the disproportionate effect of covid-19 on African Americans.
He said in the release, “As we realize that this fight will be a marathon, not a sprint, we have not lost heart. We have not lost our determination to protect each other. Instead, we have steeled ourselves to live in this new normal until we get a vaccine.”
Beshear reported two more deaths from covid-19, a 68-year-old man from Harlan County and a 95-year-old man in Franklin County, raising the death toll to 522.
“This year has been tough for everyone,” he said in the release. “But just imagine, in addition to all this fear and uncertainty and sudden change, also losing a loved one, and not being able to grieve with extended family and friends.” He has limited funeral homes to 40 people at a time.
The third and fourth paragraphs of the release recounted Beshear's Thursday proclamation of Friday, June 19 as Juneteenth National Freedom Day and noted the disproportionate effect of covid-19 on African Americans.
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