Coronavirus positivity rate remains stable, Beshear says, as state reports 3,388 cases

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky reported 3,388 new COVID-19 cases Saturday, Gov. Andy Beshear said in a news release.

Jefferson County topped all Kentucky counties with 459 new cases, according to a report from Kentucky Public Health. Of the state's 120 counties, 116 were reporting a "critical" spread of the virus as of Saturday, according to data from the Department of Public Health.

The state's positivity rate, a measure of the proportion of tests returning positive, fell slightly from 8.59% on Friday to 8.58% on Saturday, according to the governor's office. Beshear said the positivity rate remaining stable is one sign of the state curbing the spread of the virus.

"What we are seeing is that the measures we have taken are working," Beshear said in the release. "We have stopped the increase in cases, which we knew we had to do before we can start to decrease those numbers. Let’s all commit to doing what we know is right – wearing masks, social distancing, washing our hands and limiting our holiday gatherings – so we can beat this virus once and for good."

Beshear also announced 27 more deaths in which the virus was a contributing factor, bringing the state's death toll to 2,371 since the pandemic began. Among the victims Saturday were a 79-year-old man and two women, ages 58 and 97, from Jefferson County.

As of Saturday, 1,655 Kentuckians were hospitalized with COVID-19, according to the governor. More than 430 patients were being treated for the virus in intensive care units, while 253 were on ventilators.

"Perseverance in the weeks ahead is critical as vaccine supplies increase and we work towards COVID-19 immunizations available to Kentuckians as 2021 unfolds," said Dr. Steven Stack, Kentucky's public health commissioner, in the news release. "It would be an added tragedy to reverse our hard won progress through leisure travel and large gatherings. Some hospitals are already near full capacity and that could make it difficult to receive care if there is an added holiday surge."

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up within weeks. The vast majority of people recover. Of Kentucky's 240,564 confirmed cases reported since March, 34,517 have recovered, according to Kentucky Public Health.

But for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause severe symptoms and be fatal.

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