Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear in his Thursday briefing on the coronavirus reported 2,342 new COVID-19 cases in the state, with 274 of those cases being children. This is the third highest number of new daily cases the commonwealth has seen since the pandemic began.
Thursday’s reported new cases brings the total number of cases in the state ever to 129,680. The state’s positivity rate is now at 8.29 %. The state reported 1,311 Kentuckians in the hospital with COVID-19, compared to 1,274 on Wednesday. Beshear also reported 299 people with COVID-19 receiving intensive care, with163 people on a ventilator. There were also 18 newly reported deaths Thursday, bringing the total number ever in the commonwealth to 1,622.
Calloway County Health Department reported 46 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, making for the highest number of daily cases the county has seen. The total number of confirmed cases ever Calloway County is now at 1,265. As of Nov. 5, the positivity rate of testing done at Murray-Calloway County Hospital is 9.98%.
Beshear again emphasized the importance of wearing a mask, according to the guidance released from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday. Cloth masks can block virus particles from being exhaled and infectious droplets. Beshear said there is evidence showing the spread of COVID-19 happens when people take off their mask around others.
As reported Thursday 94 counties are in the “red zone” with “critical” COVID-19 spread. Fourteen additional counties have been classified as a red zone since Nov. 5. Beshear asked those in the red zone to allow employees to work from home and to try not to gather beginning Monday through the upcoming holidays.
“We’re asking counties to work with us and do the right thing,” Beshear said.
Kentucky Cabinet for Health Secretary Eric Friedlander from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services announced 500,000 new Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) cards will be distributed by Nov.20.
Find more information on COVID-19 at kycovid19.ky.gov
