Health

Kentucky reported 299 new cases of coronavirus Friday, one of the highest daily numbers yet.

According to the health department's daily update, there were 88 active cases and 165 people who had recovered from the virus.

One new case was reported Wednesday, with 84 active cases and 161 people previously diagnosed with COVID-19 who have recovered.

The health department is asking local residents to pay attention to their surroundings, especially in settings with several people, in the event they need to later help identify people with whom they had contact.

Gov. Andy Beshear said Ernest and Young can provide some 300 employees to resolve outstanding claims quickly.

A Harvard study found that readers of The Associated Press, The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal were better informed.

The fatalities included a 30-year-old woman from Fayette County, who appears to have been the youngest COVID-19 death in the state. Others were an 84-year-old woman from Fayette County, an 81-year-old man from Franklin County and a 93-year-old man from Shelby County.

Visitors will have to schedule in advance, people can visit a time, they must be socially distanced, and they won't be in patients' rooms.

The Christian County Health Department reported the county’s fourth death related to COVID-19 and a surge in coronavirus cases, from 182 to 225 in one day, on Thursday. Some of the cases involved construction workers at the Oak Grove facility.

Gov. Andy Beshear announced 280 new cases, bringing the state's total to 14,617. That pushed the seven-day rolling average to 211, from 204 the day before.

The county had 74 active cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, which was roughly a third of the total cases.

The county's total includes 137 patients who have recovered from the coronavirus since the start of the outbreak in mid-March.