Gov. Andy Beshear reported over 1,800 new COVID cases in Kentucky on Tuesday.
The 1,803 new cases increase the total number of cases of the virus in the commonwealth to 487,871. Four new deaths were announced, raising the state’s death toll to 7,352 (1.5 percent fatality rate).
Of the new cases, 372 (20.6 percent) were children 18 or younger.
The rolling seven-day positivity rate checked in at 9.88 percent.
Officials said 824 people are hospitalized, with 263 patients in intensive care. Ninety-six people are on ventilators.
Speaking to the Leitchfield City Council on Monday night, Grayson County Health Department (GCHD) Director Josh Embry said statewide about 85 percent of all new cases are the Delta variant, a more transmissible version of the virus that appears to cause more serious symptoms. The variant is also striking children much more severely than non-variant coronavirus.
Grayson County fell deeper into the “red” on Tuesday, as the county’s incident now stands at 36.8. Every county bordering Grayson County, with the exception of Edmonson County, is also in the “red,” signaling a “critical spread” of the virus, according to the Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH).
The KDPH reported 13 new cases in Grayson County on Tuesday, which comes on the heels of the 51 new cases reported by the GCHD between Wednesday, July 28, and Monday.
Hart County, with an incident rate of 69, is far and away the bordering county experiencing the most serous COVID surge.
(Photo: GCHD Director Josh Embry speaking to the Leitchfield City Council on Monday night, August 2, 2021)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
