After reporting more than 3,300 new COVID-19 cases Saturday, Governor Andy Beshear said additional steps could be taken as we go forward if the numbers don’t start to come down.
The governor reported the state’s highest number of coronavirus cases yet again with the test positivity rate reaching almost 9%. In the last four days alone more than 11,500 cases and 68 deaths have been reported in Kentucky.
Governor Beshear said if they don’t grab ahold of those red zone county reduction recommendations, if they don’t see those steps being done and ultimately see those numbers coming down, they are going to have no choice but to take additional steps going forward. He urged Kentuckians to take this seriously. He added, “you are either a part of the solution fighting the good fight to help other people or you’re helping to spread this virus.”
The governor said Saturday was again worse than previous days with 419 children alone testing positive and the virus in every part of the state.
Governor Beshear reported 3,303 new cases and eleven new deaths, raising the state’s death toll to 1,658.
He said 1,378 cases are currently hospitalized; 308 are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU); and, 167 people are on a ventilator.
The state’s positivity rate rose to 8.95%.
Kentucky’s Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack added the state has had some frightening setbacks lately and the outlook is grim as this week Kentucky saw its highest positivity rates and another highest week of cases. He urged Kentuckians to protect themselves and others by wearing a mask, watching your space and washing your hands. He also said that while we wait for a vaccine, we should all be getting the flu vaccine.
Dr. Stack said an influenza outbreak on top of this pandemic would be disastrous in the next few months.
