Tuesday brought hopeful signs. The seven-day rolling average for the positive test rate fell to 5.08%, the first time it's gone down in four days, and the seven-day average of daily new cases fell to 590. Four days before, it had been 668, more than triple the average of 220 on July 1.
Beshear reported 532 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, bringing the statewide total to 28,128. The new cases include 21 children under age 5, with the youngest being 2 months old. Beshear said the state’s positivity rate dropped slightly to 5.08%.
The state’s positivity rate — the number of coronavirus tests that come back positive compared to the total number of tests — has steadily increased and is at its highest point in recent months, 5.41%.
During his daily briefing Monday, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said the two most prominent causes of new virus clusters in Kentucky are vacation travel and gatherings without social distancing.
Beshear said he ordered the mask requirement because recent increases in coronavirus cases threaten to escalate the spread in Kentucky. He said he doesn’t want Kentucky to experience the kind of spike seen in other states that now face hospital bed shortages.
The state's daily report said 430 people in Kentucky were hospitalized for covid-19, up from 427 the day before. Intensive-care cases remained steady at 73; they have ranged from 61 to 79 in the last three weeks.
Kentucky's total cases are now up to 15,842 and its death toll is up to 568. The daily report shows that 427 Kentuckians are currently hospitalized, with 73 in intensive care. The hospitalization number continues to rise; it is now the largest since June 11, when it was 514.
Until there is a vaccine, the rules are to keep your hands washed, stay six feet away from anyone who doesn't live in your home, get tested regularly and, most important, wear a mask when in public.
