By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News
Gov. Andy Beshear announced 948 new cases of the coronavirus Friday and a positive test rate that is inching back up toward the danger zone of 5 percent..
“This is the third highest number of positive cases we’ve ever had in a single day,” Beshear said in his Friday news release. “Our positivity rate is also going up.”
Beshear warned early in the week that the state's case numbers would likely increase near the end of the week after coming off a holiday weekend. He also cautioned that the effects of the holiday weekend wouldn't be seen for several weeks.
The seven-day average of Kentuckians testing positive for the virus was 4.70% today, up from 4.14% yesterday and the highest it's been since Sept. 2.
"We want to make sure that we push that down and ultimately we get our cases in a downward trajectory," he said on a Facebook post.
Of today's new cases, 151 were children 18 and younger, of which 24 were five and under. The youngest was a 1-month-old from Jefferson County.
Beshear announced nine new deaths Friday, raising the total to 1,044 Kentuckians lost to the virus.
They were a 67-year-old woman from Barren County; an 85-year-old man from Christian County; a 62-year-old man from Hopkins County; an 82-year-old woman from Lincoln County; a 76-year-old woman from Marion County; a 58-year-old man from Oldham County; a 76-year-old man from Pulaski County; and two women, ages 78 and 82, from Todd County.
“Remember other people’s health and lives are on the line and we need you to do your part,” said Beshear. “Do your patriotic duty. Wear your mask. Social distance. So little is being asked of us in this crisis. It just takes a little bit to be a hero right now.”
Counties with more than 10 new cases Friday were Jefferson, 168; Fayette, 82; Warren, 73; Madison, 47; Christian, 43; Hardin, 34; Pulaski, 27; Boyd, 17; Calloway, McCracken and Nelson, 16 each; Grayson and Harlan, 15 each; Oldham, 13; Boone, Campbell, Henderson, Jackson and Marshall, 12 each; and Clinton, Daviess, Franklin and Shelby, 11 each.
In other covid-19 news Friday:
- The daily report shows 549 Kentuckians are hospitalized with the virus Friday and 124 are in intensive care.
- The long-term care report shows 51 more residents and 36 more staff have tested positive for the virus, with 523 residents and 329 staff having active cases of it. The report shows 589 resident and five staff deaths from the virus.
- The K-12 school report shows nine more students and seven more staff have tested positive for the virus, with 384 students and 161 staff having active cases.
- The college and university report shows 32 more students and three more staff testing positive for the virus, with 1,093 students and 49 staff having active cases.
- The Office of Unemployment Insurance on Friday began processing the first week of FEMA’s Lost Wages Program for the weeks of July 26 to Aug. 15. Kentuckians who are eligible to received the extra $400 a week in unemployment insurance will begin receiving those funds in their accounts in the next two to three days, according to the release. Click here for more information about this program.
- Eating out is riskier than other activities in the pandemic, says a study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Many Americans are ignoring the need to get tested for the coronavirus after they are in high-risk situations, especially on college campuses, Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, told CBS News. CBS affiliate WKYT said health officials in Lexington have noticed the same problem.
0 comments:
Post a Comment