LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- After reporting the highest two-day total in new COVID-19 cases in the state, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Wednesday that he would announce new requirements Thursday.
“The rising case numbers are cause for concern, so tomorrow we’re going to announce some new requirements that are going to be mandatory,” Beshear said in a news release. “Given what we are seeing across the country with exploding numbers in certain places, my commitment is to make sure that doesn’t happen here, but I can’t do it alone.”
The governor did not provide details about the requirements he would announce, but the nation’s health officials and political leaders in recent days have discussed the merits of — and some have implemented — mask requirements.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Wednesday in Winchester, Kentucky, urged Kentuckians to wear masks.
"So what you can do about it if you're a citizen, is wear a mask," he said. "We went back in session in the Senate on the first of May and have been in continuous session except for a couple weeks off. And we are wearing masks and socially distancing and we've been able to work safely.
"And I'm confident everyone else can do the same thing. It's not asking too much," McConnell said.
Kentucky on Wednesday reported 406 new infections, the second-highest daily total after 625 cases the state recorded on May 5 — though that number was skewed, as it included more than 300 cases from the Green River Correctional Complex.
Before Wednesday, the second-highest daily total was the 371 cases the state reported Tuesday.
Data from the state of Kentucky. (Graphic by Boris Ladwig.)
The state has performed 40,234 tests in the last seven days, which is about the same number of weekly tests it has performed since mid-May, which means the most recent spike in cases appears to be the result of a rising number of infections — not a rising number of tests. WDRB News has asked the governor’s office to provide more detailed information on testing and the share of tests that are coming back positive, but has not received a reply.
WDRB News also has asked the state to provide information about where people are getting infected, whether in bars, at protests or at work.
The Associated Press reported Monday that the number of confirmed cases in the U.S. was rising in 41 of 50 states and that the share of positive tests was rising in 39 states. That means the number of cases was rising because a greater share of the population is becoming infected — not because of a greater number of tests being performed.
Beshear’s office on Wednesday also reported six more COVID-19-related deaths, including three from Jefferson County: A man, age 61; and two women, aged 73 and 77.
Over the last three days, the state has recorded 23 deaths related to the disease, the highest three-day total in more than a month. The record three-day total is 40, from May 19-21.
Since the pandemic began, 608 Kentuckians have died from the disease, the state said.
“That is far too many Kentuckians to lose, and we’ve got to do everything we can to minimize our loss moving forward,” Beshear said.
The governor also said that he would hold his regularly scheduled briefing at 4 p.m. Thursday and he announced an additional briefing for 4 p.m. Friday.
Nationwide, more than 3 million people have been infected with COVID-19, and more than 132,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University. That means the virus' death rate in the U.S. is about 4.4%. For comparison, the mortality rate of the most recent flu season was less than 0.2%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Globally, more than 11.9 million people have contracted COVID-19, and more than 546,000 have died. The global mortality rate is 4.6%.
For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness.
To reduce the risk of spreading the disease, the CDC recommends that people:
- Wash their hands often
- Avoid close contact
- Cover their mouth and nose with a cloth cover when around others
- Cover coughs and sneezes
- Clean and disinfect
- Monitor their health
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