On Wednesday, Gov. Andy Beshear reported 127 new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) have been confirmed in Kentucky over the previous 24 hours.
The new cases increase the state’s total cases to 9,077.
“Our numbers suggest again today that we are no longer in a plateau, but on a decline,” the governor said after an average of 129 new cases per day were reported over the three previous days. Over the last eight days, an average of 141.5 new cases were reported each day.
Beshear reported six new deaths Wednesday, raising the state’s total to 400 (4.4 percent fatality rate) Kentuckians lost to the virus.
“In Kentucky, we’ve now lost 400 of our own to this pandemic,” Beshear said. “Without all our actions, without heroic actions, would it have been a heck of a lot worse? Yes. But let’s all acknowledge that losing 400 people to anything, at any time, for any reason isn’t OK. It’s just not.”
The deaths reported Wednesday include a 71-year-old man and 97-year-old woman from Boone County; a 78-year-old man from Hopkins County; two men, ages 77 and 79, from Jefferson County; and an 80-year-old man from Oldham County.
Jefferson County continues to lead the state in confirmed cases with 2,253 (24.8 percent of the state’s cases), with Warren County (950 cases) and Fayette County (650) having the second and third highest number of coronavirus cases. Jefferson County, with a population of about 770,000, also leads Kentucky with 144 (36 percent of the state’s fatalities) deaths, while Kenton County (32 deaths) and Hopkins County (29) have the next highest number of COVID-19 fatalities.
To date, 2,142 (23.6 percent) victims of the virus have been hospitalized, with 512 people currently in a hospital. Beshear said 899 (9.9 percent) victims have been treated in ICU, with 82 Kentuckians currently in intensive care.
At least 3,124 (34.4 percent) people have recovered from the virus and 200,762 (about 4.6 percent of the population) COVID-19 tests have been administered in Kentucky.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
