LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky reported 2,898 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, Gov. Andy Beshear said in a news release.
Jefferson County topped all Kentucky counties with 352 new cases, Kentucky Public Health said in its daily report. Of the state's 120 counties, 117 were reporting a "critical" spread of the virus as of Tuesday, according to data from the Department of Public Health.
The state's positivity rate, a measure of the proportion of tests returning positive, rose slightly from 8.53% on Tuesday to 8.57% on Wednesday, according to the governor's office.
Beshear also announced 23 more deaths in which the virus was a contributing factor, bringing the state's death toll to 2,262 since the pandemic began. Among the victims Wednesday were an 81-year-old man from Jefferson County; two men, ages 73 and 75, and a 76-year-old woman from Nelson County; two men, ages 65 and 72, and an 84-year-old woman from Oldham County.
As of Wednesday, 1,793 Kentuckians were hospitalized with COVID-19, according to the governor. More than 450 patients were being treated for the virus in intensive care units, while 239 were on ventilators.
Kentucky's allotment of the initial shipment of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine has reached the 11 hospitals designated to receive doses, the governor announced Wednesday. The first vaccinations in Kentucky were carried out Monday at UofL Health in Louisville.
Those who receive the initial dose of the vaccine will need to get a booster 21 days later.
"With these life-saving vaccines being administered right now to our front-line workers, the beginning of the end of the coronavirus crisis is in sight," Beshear said in the news release. "We are also continuing to see fewer cases week over week, with today’s number down from last Wednesday. This is all great news, but it will take time before these modern medical miracles are available to everyone. Until then, we need everyone on Team Kentucky to be patient and vigilant."
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up within weeks. The vast majority of people recover. Of Kentucky's 230,693 confirmed cases reported since March, 32,402 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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