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By TOM LATEK
Kentucky today
Kentucky set records over the past two weeks for the number of new coronavirus cases and the beginning of this week appears to be a continuation of the trend, prompting a call to step up the application of a mask when in public and a warning. of a difficult fall and winter.
“We cannot have a repeat of last week, in terms of positive cases,” Gov. Andy Beshear said at a news conference on Capitol Hill Monday. “The week before had been the highest week and we destroyed it.”
Last week there were 6,126 cases, and Monday’s new cases were higher than a week ago, at 543, bringing the total pandemic to 73,158. Sixty-nine of the new cases were in children 18 years old or younger, while nine were children 5 years old or younger. The youngest was only a month old.
“I think it’s the highest Monday, certainly in the last four weeks and by an appreciable amount,” the governor said. “It took us two months after the first COVID case to reach 6,000, and we did it in just one week, last week.
“If current trends continue, it will be a difficult fall and a difficult winter, but I think we have an opportunity to improve our situation. One of the best ways we do it is to wear a mask. “
Five new deaths were also reported to state public health officials on Monday, bringing the number of Kentuckians lost to the coronavirus to 1,214. They include a 69-year-old man from Boyd County; an 85-year-old man and two women, ages 91 and 99, from Daviess County; and a 71-year-old man from Robertson County.
State Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack warned: “We are on an escalation, in which if it continues near this rate, we will go from 6,000 to 10,000 and from 14,000 to 20,000. It will go up quickly. This is exactly what happened in New York, this is what happened in Florida, this is what happened in Arizona and Texas. “
Stack noted that other democracies, such as Canada, Germany and New Zealand, have realized this: “Tragically, the United States of America has not. Our nation, for its many wonderful attributes, is unfortunately a spectacular failure in this regard. “
Beshear said that as a result, the state will step up the application of masks, starting immediately. “We are requesting a call with the mayors and the county executive judges. We need them to do it too. We have to get back to the point where everyone is going back to a place where, in their business, they won’t be able to see someone if they’re not wearing a mask. “
He added that if this is not reversed in a couple of weeks, “then the White House is going to recommend changes in the capacity of various companies.”
In other figures Monday, at least 1,539,707 coronavirus tests have been conducted in Kentucky. The positivity rate was 4.69 percent, slightly below Saturday; and more than 12,445 Kentuckians have recovered from the virus.
Read about updated key numbers, actions, and other information from the Beshear administration on responding to the pandemic at kycovid19.ky.gov.
