LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- For the third straight week, Kentucky has surpassed its weekly record for new COVID-19 cases, according to Gov. Andy Beshear's office.
Kentucky health officials reported 852 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday and three more deaths in which the virus was a contributing factor, Beshear announced in a news release.
Those deaths included a 33-year-old man from Jefferson County, a 60-year-old man from Hopkins County and a 70-year-old woman from Warren County. Dr. Steven Stack, Kentucky's public health commissioner, said that "congregate care settings" still account for a large majority of COVID-19 deaths in the state.
Over the past seven days, Kentucky has recorded 7,675 new coronavirus cases, up 1,549 cases from last week's record. Beshear said those numbers do include a backlog of cases from Fayette County, which accounts for the second-highest number of coronavirus cases in the state behind Jefferson County.
In the pandemic update, Stack said social gatherings where Kentuckians are in close proximity to each other for long periods of time account for the rise of "cluster of cases."
“With the disease so widespread in Kentucky now, the risk of all of us getting exposed is high if we don’t all do our part to socially distance, wear masks and practice good hand hygiene," Stack said.
Stack also urged Kentuckians to "emotionally regulate" and participate in socially distant activities.
"By this, I mean it’s normal to miss the things we used to do with a lot of other people, like fall festivals, church services and sporting events," he said. "Acknowledge what you miss, then make a plan for what you can do."
Some data, including the state's positivity rate, which was 4.16% on Saturday, were unknown due to limited reporting on Sundays.
The governor announced earlier Sunday that he and he and his family would be quarantining after they were potentially exposed to COVID-19.
"We want to make sure we're setting the example and that we're also keeping other people around us safe," Beshear said in a video announcement.
The governor said he and his family have tested negative and are not experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms.
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