The state announced 619 new cases on Wednesday, up from 590 the day before and 522 Monday, but nowhere near the second highest number of 836 reported Saturday.
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%.
Christian County Health Department Spokeswoman Amanda Sweeney stressed in a news release Tuesday that a negative test does not end the quarantine period for individuals who've been exposed to someone with COVID-19.
The report brings the county's total of confirmed cases since the pandemic began locally to 485. Of those, 185 are active and 295 are recovered, according to the health department.
"We are still at higher levels than we've ever been, but the fact that we are seeing that decline over the last few weeks is very important," said Dana Quesinberry, research core director for the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center. "There is hope that we are making progress again, so whatever triggered the increase is being managed or mitigated in some way."
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%.
Dr. Steven Stack, the state's public health commissioner, said Kentucky can still avoid the crisis confronting other states, referring to states that are running out of intensive care beds and seeing increasing deaths due to the virus.
