FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 9, 2020) – Gov. Andy Beshear on Sunday updated Kentuckians on the state’s continuing efforts to fight the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).
“Some good news and some bad news in today’s COVID-19 report,” the Governor said. “In good news, we’re ending the week with about 330 fewer cases than we had last week. That’s directly attributable to people wearing their facial coverings or masks. Please keep it up, wear them even more, especially when you’re inside. On the bad side, our positivity rate, which won’t be official until tomorrow for this week, will be higher meaning that the virus continues to spread aggressively.”
Case Information
As of 3 p.m. Aug. 9, Gov. Beshear said there were at least 34,982 coronavirus cases in Kentucky, 425 of which were newly reported Sunday. Nine of the newly reported cases were from children age 5 and younger.
“We’ve got a number of counties that have 10 or more new cases – Jefferson, Fayette, Pulaski, Taylor, Hardin, Madison, Casey, Warren and Wayne – and a number that are really close there. So remember no matter where you are in the commonwealth, COVID-19 is spreading,” the Governor said. “Nine new kids under 5 have tested positive, so again let’s make sure we’re protecting each other.”
Unfortunately, Gov. Beshear reported one new death Sunday, raising the total to 773 Kentuckians lost to the virus.
“That’s yet another family that is suffering during this time,” said Gov. Beshear.
The death reported Sunday was a 71-year-old man from Pulaski County.
Due to limited reporting on Sundays, some statistics are unavailable until Monday.
Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner of the Department for Public Health, said: “Last week, we saw rising case counts of COVID-19 in all but five Kentucky counties. COVID-19 is still out there and it’s still a threat. We are encouraged, though, by the many Kentuckians taking this seriously and taking steps to keep themselves and others safer, including wearing a mask.”
Dr. Stack added: “More Kentuckians will get COVID-19 resulting in more hospitalizations and deaths, but we know what to do right now to mitigate the risk. Every time we take steps, such as wearing masks and social distancing, it impacts how many Kentuckians will test positive, how many businesses, schools and other places where we gather can remain open, and how many Kentuckians will get hurt.”
He noted that this can be done by remembering a few things. “When you and your household members leave your home, be aware that it increases your risk of exposure. Ultimately, you decide when to leave your home, how often, and for what reasons. If you do, please do it in a safe way,” Dr. Stack said.
“Continue to wear a mask. When possible, walk or bike to your destination or take your own vehicle,” he said. “Avoid interacting closely with people and unnecessarily touching things. Keep disinfecting wipes or hand sanitizer with you. Wash your hands frequently. If you sneeze, sneeze into your elbow. If you sneeze into a cloth mask, wash your mask when you get home.”
For additional information, including up-to-date lists of positive cases and deaths, as well as breakdowns of coronavirus infections by county, race and ethnicity, click here.
Week in Review
For more information on this week’s updates, including those on expanded COVID-19 testing, new flexibility for schools, the David McAtee shooting investigation, the First Lady’s Coverings for Kids program, long-term care, transportation CARES Act funding, Dollar General’s expansion in Kentucky, the Nettie Depp monument, Kentucky Infrastructure Authority loans, the 2020 Kentucky State Fair, corrections, driver’s licensing, pharmacy refills and price-gouging prohibition, visit governor.ky.gov.
More Information
Read about other key updates, actions and information from Gov. Beshear and his administration at governor.ky.gov, kycovid19.ky.gov and the Governor’s official social media accounts Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Kentuckians can also access translated COVID-19 information and daily summaries of the Governor’s news conference at teamkentuckytranslations.com.
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