Coronavirus cases are third highest in a single day; positive-test rate is highest since testing became widely available; 17 deaths
Kentucky Health News chart from state Department for Public Health reports
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By Al Cross
Kentucky Health News
Kentucky reported 2,162 new cases of the novel coronavirus, the most ever on a Saturday and third highest found on any day of the pandemic. The two higher days were Thursday and Friday, and the next four highest were last week.
The share of Kentuckians testing positive for the virus jumped 0.4 percentage points, to 7.17%. That is the highest since May 5, before testing became widespread in the state.
“Sadly, we are also reporting 17 more deaths” from covid-19, Gov. Andy Beshear said in a press release. “As Kentuckians we need to come together right now. We need everyone wearing a mask, following the red-zone recommendations and other guidance, like limiting travel and social distancing, so that we can stop this alarming escalation of cases.”
Hospitalization figures declined slightly. Kentucky hospitals reported 1,129 covid-19 patients, with 289 of them in intensive-care units and 149 of those on ventilators.
Health Commissioner Steven Stack said, “We have been witnessing an escalation in covid-19 cases, hospitalizations, patients in the ICU and on ventilators statewide over the past few weeks, and it is an alarming and deeply concerning situation.
“Now is a critical time for Kentuckians to work together to defeat this virus by following the recommendations meant to slow and limit new cases – socially distance, wear masks and practice good hand hygiene. We are all in this together, and we can only stop further spread of the virus by working together.”
Saturday’s 17 deaths from covid-19 raised the state’s death toll to 1,561, The fatalities were a 66-year-old woman and a 71-year-old man from Barren County; a 76-year-old man from Breathitt County; a 68-year-old man from Daviess County; an 85-year-old man from Graves County; an 81-year-old woman and a 82-year-old man from Grayson County; a 93-year-old woman from Knott County; a 75-year-old man, a 63-year-old man, a 59-year-old man and an 86-year-old woman from Jefferson County; an 85-year-old man from Jessamine County; an 80-year-old man and an 81-year-old woman from Lee County; a 70-year-old man from Livingston County; and a 76-year-old man from Warren County.
Counties with more than 10 new cases confirmed Saturday were: Jefferson, 324; Fayette, 206; Warren, 77; Hardin, 68; Kenton, 65; Campbell, 62; Boone, 60; Hopkins, 59; Daviess, 46; Christian, 45; McCracken, 45; Madison, 41; Laurel, 38; Nelson, 34; Floyd, 33; Bullitt, 30; Henderson, 29; Oldham, 27; Scott, 27; Barren, Boyd, Calloway and Graves, 26 each; Jessamine and Pike, 25 each; Shelby, 24; Elliott, 23; Whitley, 22; Perry, 21; Clark, 20; Franklin and Monroe, 18 each; Grant and Greenup, 15 each; Boyle, 14; Anderson, Bell, Lewis, Magoffin, Metcalfe and Taylor, 13 each; Clay, Hart and Washington, 12; and Knott, Montgomery and Powell, 11 each.