10/17 update – New-case totals highest for a Saturday, third highest overall; top 3 have all occurred this week; Beshear alludes to Republican jabs
Kentucky reported 1,295 new cases of the novel coronavirus Saturday, and “All of our other numbers are going the wrong way, too,” Gov. Andy Beshear said in a press release that announced 12 COVID-19 deaths. “More Kentuckians hospitalized and in the ICU than ever,” 691 and 185, respectively.
Actually, those hospital numbers were not records, and there was a positive number in the state’s daily report; the share of Kentuckians testing positive for the virus in the last seven days was 4.62 percent, down from 4.7% the day before.
The number of new cases was the highest of any Saturday, and the third highest of any day, with the top three days coming this week. Friday saw 1,319 and Wednesday saw 1,346. (On Oct. 7, the state recorded 2,398 cases, but most were from a weeks-long backlog in Fayette County.)
“Things are not moving in the right direction; they continue to escalate,” Beshear said. “This virus is our enemy, not each other.”
Beshear, a Democrat, appeared to be responding to jabs from Republicans in recent days. Treasurer Allison Ball accused him of using state funds to violate religious freedom at churches this spring, and State Rep. Savannah Maddox and U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie said Beshear was facing a “smackdown” of his emergency powers when the legislature convenes in January.
Beshear spokeswoman Crystal Staley responded to Ball Friday: “The governor took the same steps as the majority of states with regard to mass gatherings, including in-person religious services … after many cases and deaths were linked to mass gatherings.” She added, “None of these issues are new and the timing of the report seems political.”
Ball declined further comment, saying she would present a report to the Interim Joint Committee on the Judiciary next Thursday. Her fellow Republicans control the committee and the legislature.
Saturday’s 12 deaths raised the state’s COVID-19 death toll to 1,312.
The fatalities were a an 85-year-old man and a 77-year-old woman from Boyd County; a 73-year-old woman and a 95-year-old man from Jefferson County; a 59-year-old man from Pulaski County; a 71-year-old man from Union County; a 90-year-old woman from Whitley County; an 82-year-old woman from Daviess County; a 94-year-old man from Henderson County; an 85-year-old man from Hopkins County; a 79-year-old woman from Jessamine County; and a 91-year-old man from McLean County.
Beshear said the new cases “are all over the place.” Counties with more than 10 were: Jefferson, 295; Fayette, 115; Warren, 55; Madison, 26; Christian 25; Daviess, 23; Barren and Kenton, 21; Bullitt, Hardin, Jessamine and Shelby, 20; Boone, Nelson and Whitley, 19; Hopkins Oldham and Perry, 18; Boyd and Johnson, 17; Campbell, Henderson and Laurel, 15; Logan and Marion, 13; McCracken and Russell, 12; and Muhlenberg, 11.
Kentuckians 18 and younger accounted for 162 of the new cases; 27 of them were 5 and under. The youngest was 7 days old.
“October is on pace to be our highest ever number of coronavirus cases reported within a month,” Health Commissioner Steven Stack said in the news release. “We’re in the midst of an escalation in cases and our hospitalizations are increasing now, too. As the holidays approach, it’s imperative to limit further spread. Practice social distancing, wear a face covering and practice good hand hygiene to reduce your chances of contracting COVID-19.”
Beshear said, “We know what it takes to stop these numbers from escalating. People’s lives depend on it.”
In other coronavirus news Saturday:
- The virus is killing more men than women because men have weaker immune systems that, in some cases, may actually sabotage the body’s response to an invader,” The Washington Post reports, citing research. “But social and cultural factors may also play a role. . .. Broadly speaking, men may be less likely to be worried about COVID-19 than women, fitting the pattern that women generally treat health risks more seriously.”
10/18 update – 812 new coronavirus cases make seven-day rolling average of daily new cases 1,064; Fauci says virus is the ‘most puzzling’ one
Kentucky recorded 812 new cases of the novel coronavirus Sunday, lowering the seven-day rolling average of new cases to 1,064 from the high of 1,070 recorded Saturday. Sunday is usually a day of relatively low numbers; the latest daily total was less than the 852 recorded last Sunday.
“Once again, we are seeing our case numbers growing instead of shrinking and we must do better,” Gov. Andy Beshear said in a press release. “All of the things that we want to do, like fully re-engaging our economy and getting our children back to in-person instruction, is dependent on everyone taking this virus a lot more seriously.
“Mask up, maintain social distance, wash your hands frequently, keep gatherings to no more than 10 people and avoid traveling to virus hotspots. We can get where we need to be but only together as Team Kentucky.”
Health Commissioner Steven Stack said in the release, “We are in a once-in-a-century global pandemic. Lives are continuing to be affected and lives are being lost to this virus. Each Kentuckian has to do their part to limit the spread: socially distance, wear masks and practice good hand hygiene.”
Beshear announced five more fatalities from COVID-19, bringing the state’s toll to 1,317. They were a 76-year-old man from Boyd County; a 73-year-old woman from Fayette County; a 67-year-old man from Greenup County; a 91-year-old woman from Lincoln County and a 91-year-old woman from Marion County.
“That’s five more families grieving another loved one lost to the coronavirus,” Beshear said. “Let’s remember to light our houses and businesses up green to show them we care and ring bells at 10 a.m. to honor these Kentuckians taken from us too soon.”
Sunday’s new cases raised the state’s total to 87,607, of which 74,600 have been confirmed by laboratories and 13,007 are considered probable. Of the new cases, 116 were age 18 or younger, and 28 of those were 5 and under.
As usual for a Sunday, the state’s daily report did not include hospitalization figures or the percentage of Kentuckians testing positive for the virus in the last seven days.
Stack noted in the release that the positive-test rate, starting Monday, will be calculated only using polymerase chain reaction tests that are submitted electronically because the state has found that other forms of testing and reporting have more variations. He said it would also speed data collection.
“PCR tests are the most reliable test for finding active disease in those currently infected,”he said, “and more than 90% of all COVID-19 tests currently performed in Kentucky are PCR tests.”
In other coronavirus news Sunday:
- Counties with 10 or more new cases were:Jefferson, 217; Fayette, 67; Kenton, 21; Bullitt, 19; Christian, 19; Madison, 16; Jessamine, 15; Warren, 15; Daviess, 14; McCracken, 14; Barren, 13; Taylor, 13; Pulaski, 11; Russell, 11; and Boone, Floyd, Muhlenberg and Scott, 10 each.
- Kentucky’s percentage of virus cases and COVID-19 deaths among African Americans continues to decline slowly. Black Kentuckians, who are 8.4% of the state’s population, have been 11.62% of Kentucky’s cases and 12.32% of its deaths.
- Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CBS News‘ “60 Minutes” that said that none of the pathogens he has studied in his long career is as puzzling as the novel coronavirus. He said researchers have much to learn about it, including how common it is for people who have been infected by it to become re-infected.
- Fauci said the pandemic “would have to get really, really bad” for another lockdown because Americans are fatigued with it.
- He said “I got really ticked off” when he saw a TV commercial for President Trump using a clip of him saying “I can’t imagine that anybody could be doing more” about the virus because “I was referring to the grueling work” of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, not Trump. The ad is still running.
- He said that when he saw Trump at a Rose Garden ceremony without masks and social distancing, “I worried that he was going to get sick.” He did, and many others at the event tested positive.
- Fauci said he has received harassment and death threats. Earlier, he said, “There’s an anti-authority feeling in the world and science has an air of authority to it.”
- He said that if the Food and Drug Administration approves a coronavirus vaccine, he will take it.
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Written by Al Cross. Cross-posted from Kentucky Health News.