With 333 more cases, young people a higher percentage

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) – Another day of rising coronavirus cases prompted the state to act Thursday (see related story on mask mandate).

The state also had four more deaths.

The good news from Thursday’s reported 333 new cases was the number of hospital beds, ICU beds and ventilators available remain positive, a sign the state still has an opportunity to get the virus back under control.

The 333 cases pushed the state’s total to 18,245 in four months, with people under the age of 40 now making up more than 40 percent of the total as the virus spreads more and more among young people.

“We are seeing it everywhere and don’t think it can’t happen quickly. We have three staff members at a day care in Madison County. Thankfully they tested before it opened,” Gov. Andy Beshear said, noting an increasing number of high school sports teams are having to shut down summer drills because of positive tests.

“If you don’t think it can spread quickly, just ask Pike County. They went from having only a handful of cases to more than 100 in just a few days,” the governor continued, announcing 14 more cases in the rural Southeastern Kentucky County where the judge executive declared this week it had become a “hot spot.”

In the region, Fayette, Madison, Shelby, Laurel and several others reported new cases.

The four deaths — one each in Clark, Pike, Knox and Edmonson counties – bring the state total to 612 since March.

Beshear reported 457 people in the hospital but noted only 60 percent of the state’s hospital beds are occupied. With 105 people in ICU, more than 28 percent of the beds remain open and only 26 percent of the state’s ventilators are in use.

“Those are all critical numbers, the numbers we watch,” Beshear said.