State’s COVID positivity inches closer to 12%, more counties in ‘orange’

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) – The state’s COVID positivity rate inched closer to 12% Tuesday, case numbers and hospitalizations continued to fall and the state’s case incidence map, once all a bright red, is showing more signs of orange as the COVID spread eases across the state.

In Tuesday’s report (CLICK HERE), the state announced 3,300 newly reported cases, 17 new deaths and a positivity rate of 12.18%, which was down from Monday’s 12.74%. The deaths pushed the total number of residents lost to COVID-related causes to 13,664 and the new cases pushed the state’s total to 1,267,592.

Other indicators were mixed but the President’s Day holiday may have played some role. According to the report, 1,384 people were in the hospital because of COVID, up from 1,333 Monday. A total of 260 people were in intensive care, down from 270 Monday and 138 are on a ventilator, down from 141 Monday.

During the week ending Feb. 20, 25,173 cases were reported in Kentucky and the average test positivity rate was 13.10%. The percent of PCR tests that are positive for COVID-19 continue to steadily decline. The number of patients currently in the hospital or in intensive care for COVID-19 is also declining steadily, however a large number of Kentuckians still remain hospitalized or in need of critical care.