FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky reported 546 new coronavirus cases Wednesday, down from the previous day as the governor suggested the daily downturn offered another sign that his mask mandate is working.
Total statewide cases from Monday to Wednesday this week were down by about 100 cases from the same period last week, Gov. Andy Beshear said. That comparison is a positive development after weeks of escalating cases that had the Bluegrass State on a “terrifying” trajectory, he said.
“Today’s number strongly suggests and I believe is evidence of facial coverings working,” he said in touting his requirement that most Kentuckians wear masks in public.
Beshear reported one additional virus-related death, raising the statewide death toll to 752. Total virus cases across Kentucky increased to at least 32,741 since the start of the pandemic. The state reported 700 new virus cases Tuesday.
But the state’s positivity rate - a seven-day rolling figure reflecting the average number of tests coming back positive for COVID-19 - was up slightly again at 5.51% on Wednesday, he said.
“When we look at the escalation that we were on, we’ve got to stop the growth before we can start diminishing … both the number of cases, the rate of cases,” the governor told reporters.
He said that 620 people with the virus are hospitalized in Kentucky, 131 of them in intensive care.
Beshear continued to highlight his requirement that most people wear masks in public as a crucial step to stop the spread of the virus.
“Even when other parts of the country may be escalating out of control, we can still control our own destiny here in Kentucky by simply doing the small act that shows that we care about one another,” the governor said.
Meanwhile, Beshear sounded a cautionary note about schools resuming in-person classes.
“If it were today, I would suggest that they delay,” he said. “We’re still in a very uncertain area, and I’d like to see that positivity rate lower.”
The governor recently recommended that schools wait until at least the third week of August to restart in-person classes.
Beshear said it’s possible he would recommend that school districts postpone in-person classes beyond the third week of August.
On Tuesday, the governor said he supports local school leaders who decide to begin the academic year with online instruction as a precaution against the coronavirus.
Besides the mask order, Beshear has taken several recent actions seeking to curb the virus, including ordering bars to close and restaurants to scale back indoor service. He hoped those would be short-term measures.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some - especially older adults and people with existing health problems - it can cause more severe illness and be fatal.
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