LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky's COVID-19 positivity rate continued to decline Saturday, while Gov. Andy Beshear reported 3,096 new cases.
The positivity rate, which measures the proportion of coronavirus tests returning positive, fell from 12.09% on Friday to 11.74% on Saturday, the governor said in a tweet. The rate has been trending downward since reaching 12.45% on Jan. 10 — the highest it has been since May.
Of the new cases, 558 were confirmed in Jefferson County, according to a report from Kentucky Public Health. As of Friday, data show 118 of the state's 120 counties were experiencing a "critical" spread of the virus.
Beshear also announced 32 more deaths Saturday in which the virus was a contributing factor, bringing the state to 3,093 total deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. Kentucky has reported 192 deaths related to COVID-19 since Monday, Jan. 11, and 431 deaths since the start of 2021.
The state did not provide additional information about the new virus-related deaths reported Saturday. According to data from Kentucky Public Health, more than half of the Kentuckians who have died from COVID-19 were age 70 or older.
As of Saturday, 1,631 Kentuckians were hospitalized with COVID-19, the governor said, while 408 were being treated for the virus in intensive care units. More than 210 patients were on ventilators.
According to the Kentucky Department for Public Health's vaccine dashboard, at least 190,547 doses of the coronavirus vaccine have been administered as of Friday.
For most people, COVID-19 causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up within weeks. The vast majority of people recover. Of Kentucky's 324,325 confirmed cases reported since March, at least 40,541 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.
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