Kentucky reports 1,462 new COVID-19 cases, 3 more virus-related deaths

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky health officials reported 1,462 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday and three more deaths in which the virus was a contributing factor, according to a news release from Gov. Andy Beshear's office.

The state set a new weekly record with 9,335 new cases reported, surpassing the previous record from Oct. 5-11 by more than 1,600 cases, the governor's office said. The state set the new case record even though testing for the week that ended Saturday was the lowest in the last four weeks.

The 95 coronavirus-related deaths reported this week also set a new record.

During his upcoming pandemic briefing Monday, Beshear will discuss new recommendations for counties where community spread of the virus is out of control. According to the state’s incidence rate map on Sunday, those counties in the red zone include Jefferson, Shelby, Hardin, Nelson and nearly half of the state. None of the state's counties are on track as of Sunday, the map shows.

The governor told WDRB News' Lawrence Smith on Friday that he does not plan to issue new executive orders that would once again close down business such as restaurants, bars and nonessential retail stores.

"We have most of what we need in place in place," Beshear said. "It should work. What we need is better compliance. And I don't think you get better compliance just by having a additional mandates. So we need encouragement, we need a local push where there is an outbreak, and we need everybody to kind of wake up again."

Jefferson County reported the most cases Sunday with 379, according to a report from Kentucky Public Health. Elliott County followed with 137.

Beshear said the 1,462 new cases reported Sunday were the "highest number of cases ever reported on a Sunday." This followed a single-day record 1,738 new cases reported on Saturday, excluding a day from this month that included hundreds of backlogged cases.

Due to limited reporting on Sundays, the governor's office did not provide an updated positive rate, or the share of COVID-19 tests that come back positive. As of Saturday, the rate was 5.63%.

As of Sunday, 841 Kentuckians were hospitalized with COVID-19, which is a record high. According to the governor's office, 231 patients were being treated in intensive care units, and 106 were on ventilators. The Kentucky Hospital Association said Wednesday that about a third of hospital beds and 16% of ICU beds remained available.

The three deaths reported Sunday included an 87-year-old woman from Fayette County; a 74-year-old woman from Grayson County and an 83-year-old man from Spencer County. Since March, 1,407 Kentuckians who have tested positive for the virus have died.

Most of the people who die from COVID-19 have underlying conditions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About three-quarters of the Kentuckians who have died were at least 70 years old.

Of Kentucky's 96,942 total coronavirus cases reported since March, at least 17,723 patients have recovered.

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