FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - More than half of Kentucky’s counties are listed in the most serious category for COVID-19 incidence rates as the state remains on a near-record pace of daily coronavirus cases, Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday.
The governor reported 19 more virus-related deaths and 1,821 more virus cases, the state’s third-highest daily number of cases since the pandemic began. It followed the second-highest daily case count on Wednesday and fourth-highest total Tuesday, he said at a news conference.
“This is a type of outbreak where we can’t deny our way out of it, we can’t rationalize our way out of it, we can’t try to find excuses for not following the guidance,” he said. “It is that present.”
Meanwhile, 68 of Kentucky’s 120 counties are listed in the red-zone category for having the highest COVID-19 incidence rates.
Schools in red-zone counties are urged to hold only virtual classes because of high COVID-19 transmission rates in their communities.
Beshear has recommended those counties take stricter steps to contain the virus’s spread.
People in those counties are urged to avoid hosting or attending gatherings of any size. Employers should allow employees to work from home when possible, and noncritical government offices should operate virtually. In-person shopping should be reduced, with people opting to order online for pickup. And people are urged to avoid nonessential activities outside their home.
Beshear called on local government, school system and business leaders to make plans to put the new guidelines into practice. But the governor has stressed the steps are offered as recommendations - not new mandates - while emphasizing the importance of following them to help tamp down the virus.
“It’s unsafe right now, and this helps protect you,” he said.
With Thursday’s report, Kentucky’s total virus case count surpassed 103,000, and its virus-related death toll reached at least 1,461. The state’s positivity rate is 6.04%.
In stressing how widespread the virus has become, Beshear said: “If it hasn’t touched you, someone you personally know, it’s just a matter of time at this point. So please help us save lives. Every day you get up and put on a mask, you save lives. Every day you follow the guidance, you save lives.”
Beshear has constantly emphasized the importance of wearing masks in public, adhering to social distancing and following other health guidelines to contain the virus.
The latest escalation in Kentucky has led to increased hospitalizations. Beshear reported that 969 people are hospitalized because of the virus, including 234 in intensive care.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up within weeks. But for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause severe symptoms and be fatal. The vast majority of people recover.
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