On Wednesday, Gov. Andy Beshear announced 10 coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths in Kentucky were recorded over the previous 24 hours, giving the commonwealth 30 virus-related deaths in two days.
The state now has 376 (4.6 percent fatality rate) COVID-19 deaths.
The governor also reported 166 newly confirmed cases, increasing Kentucky’s COVID-19 cases to 8,167.
The deaths reported Wednesday include a 73-year-old woman from Breckinridge County, a 90-year-old woman from Oldham County, a 70-year-old man from Boone County, a 79-year-old woman from Graves County, and six deaths in Jefferson County, four women ages 46, 70, 76, and 88, and two men, ages 71 and 77.
The death of the 73-year-old Breckinridge County woman marks the second coronavirus death in two days in that county.
Beshear said since the pandemic began, 2,016 (24.7 percent) victims have been hospitalized, with 474 people (a steadily increasing number) currently in a hospital. To date, 879 Kentuckians have been treated in ICU while 98 victims are currently in intensive care (the lowest number of ICU patients in recent memory).
At least 2,919 (35.7 percent) Kentuckians have recovered from the virus, and 158,672 tests have been administered.
Long-term care testing
Dr. Steven Stack, Public Health Commissioner, said that coronavirus testing was being conducted this week at 23 long-term care facilities.
So far, more than 4,300 tests have been conducted: 2,324 staff members and 2,003 residents. Officials plan to conduct another 2,100 tests over the next two days.
“I know we can’t get to everyone immediately,” Dr. Stack said “We would like to, it’s just not possible with the bandwidth, but we are working very methodically to get to all the nursing homes and support that community and the residents who live there, who are the most vulnerable among us.”
Since the onset of the pandemic, several long-term care facilities in Kentucky have become hot spots of COVID-19 activity, as over a thousand residents and 400 staff have been diagnosed with the virus, while over 200 deaths are attributed to nursing homes.
In Grayson County, cases arising from Grayson Nursing & Rehabilitation (62) and Spring View Nursing & Rehabilitation (15) account for 77 (60.2 percent) of the county’s 128 cases. Seven of Grayson County’s eight deaths are connected to Grayson Nursing & Rehabilitation.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
