State has another day of more than 4,500 cases, some other stats ease slightly

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) – After hints of moderation late last week and during the weekend, Kentucky’s new COVID case numbers remained high Tuesday.

According to the its daily report, the state recorded 4,551 new cases Tuesday with 1,465 of those in people 18 and under. The daily total pushed the number since March 2020 to 684,989.

The state also recorded 56 more deaths, raising that grim statistic to 8,635.

From March 1 to Sept. 22, 86.7% of COVID-19 cases, 92.1% of COVID-19 hospitalizations and 84.6% of COVID-19 deaths in Kentucky have been among those who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.

The Governor reported that 60% of all Kentuckians, including those who are too young to be eligible, have gotten at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose; 71% of Kentuckians 12 or older, or 71%, of all eligible Kentuckians, have gotten at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose; and 73% of Kentucky adults have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose.

The numbers are not surprising by age groups with 92% of those 65 and up having at least one vaccine, 80 percent of those 50 t0 65, 70% of those 40 to 49, 64% of those 30 to 39, 51% of those 18 to 29 and 47% of those 12 to 17 with a majority of the new cases in the state coming in the youngest groups.

Eleven Kentucky counties have reached the milestone of at least 60% of residents receiving at least their first dose: Anderson, Boone, Boyle, Campbell, Fayette, Franklin, Jefferson, Kenton, Perry, Scott and Woodford.

According to the state’s daily report, the positivity rate fell from 10.55% to 10.4%, continuing what has been a steady decline for the last three weeks.

Other key barometers of the spread of virus and its impact in communities also continued a slow fall.

A total of 2,006 people are in the hospital, down from 2,045 Monday. Of those, 588 are in intensive care, down from 617 Monday. And 399 people are on ventilators, up from 395 Monday.

Statewide, ventilator capacity use has dropped below 50% in all but two of 10 regions and inpatient capacity use is below 70% in eight of 10 regions, and ICU capacity use is below 50% in all but one region.

It’s the lowest the capacity percentages have been in several weeks. Hospitals say while they still are strained both in capacity and even more in staff, the problem has eased “a little bit.”