LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky is on pace to record more COVID-19 cases this week than ever before, and the state already has crushed its prior weekly record of deaths. Hospitalizations also have reached a new record high for the sixth consecutive day.
“This virus is everywhere. It is in your community," Gov. Andy Beshear said in a news release. "We need every community doing what it takes to defeat it."
The state reported 1,457 new COVID-19 cases Friday and has recorded nearly 7,100 in the first six days of this week, which is less than 400 cases below a weekly record.
To put the current case spike in context:
- Friday’s total was the second-highest for a single day since the pandemic began, excluding a day this month that included hundreds of backlogged cases. Thursday’s total was the third-highest single day since the pandemic began. Wednesday’s total was the highest.
- The seven highest daily totals have occurred in the last 10 days.
- In 15 of the last 25 days, the state has recorded more than 1,000 new cases. Before that, the state had surpassed that threshold only twice.
- In 23 days this month, the state has reported almost 3,000 cases more than in all of September, which had produced a record high number of cases.
- Cases this week are on a record pace, even though the state, through the first six days of the week, has conducted about 30,000 fewer tests than last week at this point.
Beshear also reported 16 new COVID-19-related deaths Friday.
A record-high 84 Kentuckians have died from COVID-19 complications this week, shattering the previous weekly high, 72, from early September — with one day yet to go.
Graphic by WDRB Media. Data source: Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services.
Through 23 days this month, the state has suffered 222 deaths, only 19 deaths fewer than during all of September.
Nine of the 16 people whose deaths were reported Friday were 80 years or older. All but two were older than 70. All were older than 63.
Since the pandemic began, 1,412 people have died. About half of them were at least 80 years old. About a quarter of them were between 70 and 79.
The state’s overall mortality rate, or the share of people who die while being infected with COVID-19, remains near 1.5%. That means one Kentuckian dies for every 67 infections. The rate is much lower than it was during the early days of the pandemic, but the spiking number of cases is now pushing up the death toll, as Beshear and State Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack had predicted.
As of Friday, 819 COVID-19 patients were in the hospital in Kentucky, a record high and up by 152 from a week earlier. The number of people in intensive care fell to 205, down nine from Thursday, which was a five-month high. The Kentucky Hospital Association said this week that about a third of the state’s hospital beds and about 16% of ICU beds remain available.
The state said that 17,534 people have recovered from COVID-19, which is about 19.3% of total infections.
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