Health

Friday's numbers raised the state's case total to 13,454. While Beshear has said he will base his reopening decisions more on hospitalizations than daily case numbers, his press release did not mention those numbers.

There were no new cases reported Thursday, following an increase of six cases on Wednesday.

To the many who aren't wearing masks, Beshear said, "We need you to reconsider. It's not a test of your manhood, whether you wear a mask or not. I think it's a test of your compassion, maybe even your faith if you're willing to wear one of these to protect a fellow human being. Remember, we all have a duty to each other, even folks we've never met."

The health department urged local residents to be aware the virus is still active and requires safety measures to help curb its spread.

The 170 new cases brought the state's total to 12,995; Beshear said 3,444 of those have recovered. Counties with five or more new cases Wednesday were Jefferson, 37; Fayette, 18; Warren, 13; Laurel, 9; Jackson, 7; Boone and Carroll, 6 each; and Campbell, Henderson, Kenton and Madison, 5 each.

Since the start of the outbreak, 123 people in Christian County have recovered from COVID-19, the health department reported.

The new cases raised the state's total to 12,829. The daily report shows that 395 people are currently hospitalized with the virus, 69 are in intensive care and 3,431 have recovered from it.

For many rural counties, the spikes in case numbers have stemmed from a few kinds of facilities and workplaces where COVID-19 has spread like wildfire: meatpacking plants, prisons, and nursing homes.

Public health officials are urging people to get tested for COVID-19 — in addition to frequent hand-washing, wearing a mask and social distancing — to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Some people with no symptoms have been infected but don’t know they carry the virus and could spread it to others.

In late April, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, "Practice social distancing and don’t be stigmatized by wearing a mask. It doesn't necessarily mean you’re sick; it means you're concerned about others."

The county total includes 37 active cases and 115 people who have recovered from the virus.

Another 315 Kentuckians were confirmed Saturday to be infected with coronavirus, a near-record daily total that continued a two-week upward trend.