Kentucky Sets New Weekly COVID-19 Case High Record

DEM Blogger

November 23, 2020

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Nov. 22, 2020) – Gov. Andy Beshear announced 2,194 new cases and said today’s COVID-19 case report is the highest ever for a Sunday. The second highest Sunday was Oct. 25, when the Governor reported 1,462 new cases, 732 fewer than he announced today.

In addition, this was Kentucky’s highest week ever for new COVID-19 cases, surpassing the previous record week by 3,766 cases.

“This upcoming holiday week is a special time for all of our families, and I know everyone wants to have a normal Thanksgiving after such a difficult year,” said Gov. Beshear. “I wish more than anything that we could go back to normal safely, but we can’t. In order to protect our only line of health care workers and all of our fellow Kentuckians, keep gatherings small (eight people or fewer and two households at most), wear a mask, wash your hands and stay six feet apart.

“If we have a major surge of COVID-19 cases after Thanksgiving, our hospitals will simply not have the capacity to give everyone the care they need. Nothing is worth that risk.”

New requirements impact restaurants, bars, social gatherings, indoor fitness and recreation centers, venues and theaters, professional services and schools. See the full executive orders here and here.

Audio public service announcements about the new requirements (created in partnership with RadioLex) are published here in: Bosnian, Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, Spanish and Russian.

Case Information
As of 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22, Gov. Beshear reported the following COVID-19 numbers:

• New cases today: 2,194
• New deaths today: 4
• Positivity rate: 9.19%
• Total deaths: 1,787
• Currently hospitalized: 1,533
• Currently in ICU: 389
• Currently on ventilator: 208

Top counties with the most positive cases today are: Jefferson, Fayette, Boone and Kenton. Each of these counties reported more than 100 new cases.

The red zone counties for this week can be found here. Community leaders, businesses, schools and families in these counties should all follow red zone reduction recommendations.

Those reported lost to the virus today include a 69-year-old woman from Allen County; a 78-year-old man from Daviess County; an 88-year-old man from McCracken County; and a 62-year-old woman from Ohio County.

Thanksgiving Guidance
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends Americans avoid Thanksgiving travel. In addition to avoiding travel, the Kentucky Department for Public Health recommends:

• English: Full Guidance; One-Pager; Single Slide
• Spanish: Full Guidance; One-Pager; Single Slide
• Recorded PSAs (in partnership with RadioLex): Bosnian, Chinese, English, French, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Russian, Spanish

More Information
To view the full daily report, incidence rate map, new statewide requirements, testing locations, long term-care and other congregate facilities update, school reports and guidance, red zone counties, red zone recommendations, the White House Coronavirus Task Force reports for Kentucky and other key guidance visit, kycovid19.ky.gov.