On Thursday, Gov. Andy Beshear said 2,342 new cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Kentucky over the previous 24 hours, the third highest number of cases reported in a single day.
The new cases increase the state’s COVID-19 victim count to 129,680.
The counties reporting the most cases on Thursday were Jefferson (507), Fayette (285), Christian (86), Kenton (64), Warren (58), and Boone (56).
There are now 94 (78.3 percent) Kentucky counties in the “red,” signaling a “critical” spread of the virus, according to the Kentucky Department for Public Health. Grayson County, with 41.4 cases confirmed per day per 100,000 residents over the last week, continues to be in the “red zone,” and is currently surrounded by all “red” counties — Ohio (47.6 per 100,000), Butler (26.6), Edmonson (25.9), Hart (50.3), Hardin (47.4), and Breckinridge (25.8).
With the exception of five counties — Todd, Crittenden, Lyon, Fulton, and Meade – all of western Kentucky is in the “red.”
Officials reported 18 new deaths, raising Kentucky’s coronavirus death toll to 1,622 (1.3 percent fatality rate). There have now been 212 COVID-19-related deaths in Kentucky over the last 17 days (12.5 per day).
Those reported lost to the virus on Thursday include a 77-year-old man from Allen County; an 86-year-old woman from Christian County; a 66-year-old man from Clay County; a 75-year-old woman from Clinton County; two 75-year-old men from Henderson County; two women, ages 89 and 96, from Jefferson County; a 76-year-old man from Lee County; an 80-year-old man from Lincoln County; two men, ages 57 and 90, from McLean County; a 78-year-old man from Oldham County; two women, ages 68 and 86, and an 82-year-old man from Pike County; and a 93-year-old woman and a 70-year-old man from Rockcastle County.
The rolling seven-day positivity rate jumped from 8.12 percent on Wednesday to 8.29 percent, the highest the metric has been since the first week of May.
Hospitalizations rose Thursday by a record 122 patients to 1,311. Hospitalizations have risen by 273 patients in the last three days. Intensive care patients increased by two to 299, while people on ventilators went up 12 to 163.
Since the onset of the pandemic, 8,567 (6.6 percent) patients have been treated in a hospital, with 2,187 (1.7 percent) people admitted to ICUs.
At least 23,629 (18.2 percent) Kentuckians have recovered from the virus, and 2,319,852 COVID-19 tests have been administered in the state.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
