LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky's COVID-19 positivity rate dropped for the eighth day in a row as the state reported 3,691 new cases of the virus Friday, Gov. Andy Beshear said in a news release.
The positivity rate, a measure of the proportion of tests returning positive, fell from 9.13% on Thursday to 8.86% on Friday, according to a report from Kentucky Public Health.
"These numbers are still high and we are still watching for any increases related to the Thanksgiving holiday, but we are making progress in our fight against this invisible enemy," Beshear said in the news release. "I hope this gives everyone the courage and grit to keep going, to keep doing what we know is right, things like wearing a mask and staying socially distant, because we know they are working."
Jefferson County topped all Kentucky counties with 513 new cases reported Friday, Kentucky Public Health said in its daily report. Of the state's 120 counties, 118 are reporting a "critical" spread of the virus, according to data from the Department of Public Health.
Beshear also announced 22 more deaths in which the virus was a contributing factor, bringing the state's death toll to 2,168 since the pandemic began. One of the victims Friday was an 85-year-old woman from Jefferson County.
As of Friday, 1,717 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.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up within weeks. The vast majority of people recover. Of Kentucky's 217,120 confirmed cases of reported since March, 31,087 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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This story may be updated.
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