By TOM LATEK, Kentucky Today
FRANKFORT, Ky. – The number of new COVID-19 cases, deaths, and the state’s positivity rate all fell on Saturday in Kentucky.
There were 599 new cases reported to state public health officials, 132 of which were people 18 years of age of younger. This compares to 713 on Friday and 834 on Thursday, although it should be noted that some labs are not open or do not report results during the weekend. There have now been 437,037 positive cases of the coronavirus, since the first one was reported in Harrison County on March 6, 2020.
There were 12 counties with a double-digit number of new cases: Jefferson 103, Fayette 38, McCracken 31, Warren 28, Daviess and Kenton 21, Logan and Montgomery 18, Christian 15, Lewis 11, and Boone and Harlan 10.
Reports from local health departments indicated three new deaths, while the ongoing audit of death certificates between last fall and the end of February added 10 more. The locations and ages of the victims was not available.
This marks the third straight day of declines, as there were 15 deaths on Friday and 17 on Thursday and brings the number of Kentuckians lost due to COVID-19 during the pandemic, to 6,330.
Kentucky’s positivity rate on Saturday was 3.42%, based on a seven-day rolling average of tests versus positive cases. The positivity rate had increased for seven straight days, after reaching a low of 2.79% on April 9, and peaking at 3.51% on Friday.
Gov. Andy Beshear announced the Team Kentucky Vaccination Challenge last Monday, April 12, in which he said he would lift capacity and other restrictions at restaurants, bars, other businesses, and venues with up to 1,000 people when 2.5 million Kentuckians have had at least their first vaccination. He predicted that this goal can be reached in six weeks or less.
Currently, the number of Kentuckians who have received at least one dose of the vaccine stands at 1,654,407, an increase of more than 16,000 from Friday. Kentuckians should visit vaccinemap.ky.gov to find a COVID-19 vaccine near where they live.
To see the state’s full daily COVID-19 report, which includes such information as the red zone counties and red zone recommendations, testing locations, vaccine sites and availability, the weekly White House Coronavirus Task Force reports for Kentucky, executive orders, revised travel guidance from the CDC and other information on the state’s pandemic response, go to kycovid19.ky.gov.
The Governor’s next scheduled live press briefing on COVID-19 will be Monday afternoon at 4, but his office is expected to issue a daily report on COVID-19 numbers on Sunday.
