Gov. Andy Beshear reported a combined 6,459 coronavirus cases were confirmed in Kentucky on Saturday (3,892) and Sunday (2,567), giving the state a record-high 23,844 cases of the virus confirmed last week.
Those cases increase the state’s COVID-19 victim count to 200,632.
“These are difficult numbers, having passed 200,000 cases and earlier this week passing 2,000 deaths,” Beshear said. “And now this is our highest week to date. However, in the data there is some potentially good news: While this is our highest week ever, the rate of growth does appear to be slowing. In other words, our increase from the last couple of weeks is less than what we have been seeing. Certainly, our hope is that we are slowing down this train and are moving at least to a new plateau … That should make all of us want to work that much harder knowing that we can impact this thing, that it is within our control and that a vaccine, two vaccines, are just around the corner.”
Officials also reported 33 coronavirus-related deaths over the weekend, raising the commonwealth’s death toll to 2,072 (1.0 percent fatality rate).
Kentucky has now had 360 COVID-19-related deaths over the last 18 days (20 per day), and 164 over the last six days (27.3 per day)
The rolling seven-day positivity rate checked in at 9.75 percent on Sunday.
Between Friday and Sunday, hospitalized patients fell by 61 to 1,731, and intensive care patients decreased by eight to 409. People on ventilators dropped to 226, down four from Friday.
Total hospitalizations, recovery and testing numbers are not released on Sundays.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
