There are now over 3,900 coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear reported at his briefing on Saturday.
Beshear said 171 new cases of the virus have been confirmed since Friday afternoon, increasing Kentucky’s total to 3,905 cases. The governor reported five new COVID-19 deaths in the state, elevating the state’s death toll to 205 (5.2 percent).
The five deaths include three women from Jefferson County, ages 88, 93 and 87, a 79-year-old woman from Adair County, and a 92-year-old woman from Graves County.
Forty-two Kentucky counties reported new cases on Saturday, including nearby Butler, Hopkins, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Edmonson, Hardin, and Meade counties.
Beshear said 1,266 (32.4 percent) victims have been hospitalized with the virus, with 301 people currently in the hospital. Of those 301 hospitalized victims, 164 are being treated in intensive care, while a total of 605 (15.5 percent) victims have at some point been admitted to the ICU.
The governor reported testing numbers continue to rapidly rise, as 46,558 (1.1 percent of the population) people in Kentucky have undergone COVID-19 testing. There are 11 testing locations that will be operational next week, Beshear said, including two each in Louisville and Lexington, as well as sites in Bowling Green, Cadiz, Hazard, Hopkinsville, Mt. Vernon, Murray, and Owensboro.
Those 11 testing sites are a collaborative effort between the state, Kroger, Walmart and Walgreens.
Nursing home numbers
Of course, of great concern to Grayson County residents and the entire state is the number of positive cases arising from nursing homes, as the disease continues to attack the most vulnerable among us.
In Grayson County, 37 of the county’s 48 COVID-19 diagnoses have come from nursing home facilities — 36 from Grayson Nursing & Rehabilitation and one from Spring View Nursing & Rehabilitation.
Around the state, 61 long-term care facilities report 602 resident and 273 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19, 22.4 percent of the state’s cases.
Ninety-four deaths in the state are also connected to nursing homes (93 residents, one employee), 45.9 percent of Kentucky’s coronavirus-related deaths.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
