By Al Cross
Kentucky Health News
Most measures of the pandemic in Kentucky inched down Wednesday, except the most serious: deaths and Covid-19 patients on mechanical ventilation.
The state reported 52 more deaths from Covid-19, raising the pandemic total to 8,422 and the average over the last seven days to 40 per day. The dead included a 34-year-old from McCreary County, a 36-year-old from LaRue County, a 38-year-old from Johnson County and a 39-year-old from Kenton County.
"This is hitting people far younger than we ever saw previously in the pandemic," Gov. Andy Beshear said in a Facebook video in which he read the ages and counties of several victims younger than 60.
Hospitals reported 2,257 Covid-19 patients, 30 fewer than Tuesday, and 651 on intensive care, down 13, but the number on ventilation rose by eight, to 453. The record of 463 was set six days earlier.
The state reported 4,418 new cases of the coronavirus, lowering the seven-day rolling average by 140, to 3,772, the lowest in almost a month. And the percentage of Kentuckians testing positive for the virus fell to 11.66%. The figure has fallen daily for two weeks, but "That's still far too high," Beshear said. he has said that the decline could be partly due to more testing, prompted by more cases.
Kentucky still has the nation's third-highest infection rate over the last seven days, according to The New York Times, trailing Alaska and West Virginia.
The state reported a seven-day infection rate of 73.89 daily cases per 100,000 residents. Counties with rates more than double that rate were Rockcastle, 190.8; Harlan, 189.5; Whitley, 189.5; Leslie, 173.6; Magoffin, 163.3; Powell, 163; Metcalfe, 156; Barren, 155; Monroe, 151.6; Knox, 151.4; and Wolfe, 149.7.
"Please get vaccinated," Beshear said. "It gives you the best protection out of anything out there."
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