State COVID cases over 5,000, positivity above 14%

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) – A positivity rate above 14% again, more than 5,000 new cases and other record or near-record numbers indicate the COVID surge isn’t slowing in Kentucky.

The positivity rate was 14.04%, down slightly from 14.16% Wednesday, and the state recorded 5,252 new COVID cases, the state said in Thursday’s daily report.

Of the new cases, 1,602 were in people 18 and under. The numbers continued a trend for more than two weeks where the highest infection rates in the state have been in people under 30.

The new cases brought the state total to 615,168.

The state also reported 36 new deaths, pushing the number lost since March 2020 to 7,971. Thursday’s deaths followed 30 deaths reported Wednesday.

Thursday’s numbers come after the state had a record-high week with 30,680 cases and health experts worry Labor Day gatherings will make the ongoing surge spike even more.

The number of people hospitalized also continues to spike.

Thursday, the number of people hospitalized rose to 2,479. That continued to increase from 2,356 Tuesday and 2,424 Wednesday. The number of people in ICU fell slightly to 665 from 674 Wednesday but still was above the 661 from Tuesday.

The number of people on ventilators hit 434 Thursday, up from 431 Wednesday and 433 Tuesday.