LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky set a record Thursday with 58 new deaths in which the coronavirus was a contributing factor, Gov. Andy Beshear said during a briefing from the state Capitol.
Alongside 3,728 new cases, Thursday's single-day death toll tops the previous record of 54 deaths on Dec. 17 and brings Kentucky's overall death toll to 3,301 since the first case of the virus was reported in the state in March 2020.
Among the victims Thursday were seven women, ages 73, 78, 79, 81, 84 and 91, and four men, ages 31, 64, 88 and 92, from Jefferson County. According to data from Kentucky Public Health, more than half of the state's COVID-19 victims have been age 70 or older.
Beshear on Thursday applauded Kentucky's health care workers for helping keep the state's COVID-19 mortality rate at 1%, below the national average of 1.7% and worldwide average of 2.2%. Still, he said the loss of life in the state due to the pandemic has been "staggering."
"That is a lot of loss," Beshear said after reading the ages and home counties of the 58 new victims.
He then announced plans to hold a memorial ceremony Friday for the Kentuckians who have lost their lives to COVID-19 at the state Capitol. An American flag will be placed on the Capitol grounds for every resident who has died from the virus.
"These are all children of God, loved by their family, needed by their community and deeply, deeply missed," he said.
On the vaccine front, Beshear said Kentucky is outpacing the amount of doses it is receiving from the federal government. The state is in line to receive roughly 57,000 doses over the next week, according to the governor.
"This is a good sign, but it also points out to what our challenge is going to be moving forward," he said.
"... The supply simply isn't there. We can't give vaccines we don't have."
As of Thursday, 250,867 vaccine doses have been administered statewide, according to the Kentucky Department for Public Health's official vaccine dashboard. If you are eligible, click here for information on how to sign up for a vaccination appointment.
Of the new cases reported Thursday, 604 were confirmed in Jefferson County, according to Kentucky Public Health. Data from Thursday show 116 of the state's 120 counties experiencing a "critical" spread of the virus.
Kentucky's positivity rate, which measures the proportion of coronavirus tests returning positive, fell slightly from 11.29% on Wednesday to 11.05% on Thursday — the lowest it has been since Jan. 5. Thursday also marks the sixth consecutive day the positivity rate has remained below 12%.
As of Thursday, 1,604 Kentuckians were hospitalized with COVID-19, the governor said, while 395 were being treated for the virus in intensive care units. More than 200 patients were on ventilators.
For most people, COVID-19 causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up within weeks. The vast majority of people recover. Of Kentucky's 338,034 confirmed cases reported since March, at least 41,469 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.
To find a COVID-19 testing location near you, click here.
This story may be updated.
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