FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky reported more than 450 additional cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, part of a troublesome trend of rising confirmed cases of the illness caused by the new coronavirus, Gov. Andy Beshear said.
Beshear said in a news release that Kentucky has had more than 19,100 cases of the virus and at least 622 fatalities, including the deaths of a 69-year-old woman and an 86-year-old man from Jefferson County that were reported Saturday.
The state reported an increase of 426 cases on Friday.
“We have another day of really high numbers of COVID-19 cases,” Beshear said. “This is another day where it shows that we are no longer in a plateau but cases are increasing. We must act now.”
Beshear on Friday said a new requirement for Kentuckians to wear face masks in public has taken effect, despite a county court’s restraining order related to pandemic restrictions.
Beshear said the increase in deaths Saturday was “tough news for today.”
“The positive news is we’re seeing better compliance and more people wearing face coverings than ever before,” he said. “It’s not a political statement. It’s a statement that you care.”
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up within weeks. For some, especially older adults and those with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, even death.
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