COVID cases still high, positivity rate lowest its been in weeks

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) – The umber of new coronavirus cases remains high but the positivity rate dropped to its lowest level in weeks, accordig to the state’s daily report.

“Our positivity rate has now dropped to 3.6%; that is our lowest rate in months,” said Gov. Andy Beshear. “When we asked for people to push off in-person classes in our schools until Sept. 28, it was so we could get our positivity rate down to a safer level.”

As of 4 p.m. Friday, Beshear reported 777 new cases, with 97 of those in children ages 18 and younger, of which 14 were children ages 5 and under. The youngest was 2 months old.

The new cases pushed the state’s total since March to 60,128.

Beshear reported eight new deaths, raising the total to 1,101 Kentuckians lost to the virus.

The deaths include an 85-year-old man from Bell County; a 96-year-old man from Christian County; a 96-year-old man from Fayette County; a 90-year-old woman from Greenup County; a 53-year-old man from Hopkins County; a 73-year-old woman from Laurel County; a 78-year-old woman from Pulaski County; and a 91-year-old woman from Scott County.

“This is tough news today,” said Beshear. “It only took 10 days for us to go from 1,000 deaths to over 1,100. This is why were working so hard to keep our case numbers down.”

For information, including up-to-date lists of positive cases and deaths, as well as breakdowns of coronavirus infections by county, race and ethnicity, click here.

Information about COVID-19 and schools is also being made available. To view the reports, click here for K-12 and here for colleges and universities.