Positive-test rate jumps above 9% on seventh highest day of new coronavirus cases; 29 more deaths; state auditor tests positive

New York Times map, adapted by Kentucky Health News; click here for interactive version

By Al Cross

Kentucky Health News

All major measures of the pandemic increased in Kentucky Wednesday, most notably the percentage of Kentuckians testing positive in the last seven days for the novel coronavirus.

That figure jumped to 9.09%, more than a full percentage point above Monday's seven-day average and the highest since Dec. 10.

A release from Gov. Andy Beshear's office paraphrased him as saying that the rise may have been causes by holiday closures of some testing sites and labs, "increasing the percentage of tests conducted in medical settings where patients are already experiencing symptoms and suspect they may have the virus."

The release's direct quote from Beshear was, “Our report for today is higher than it has been for a number of days. The progress we have made is fragile. We have to keep working and making good decisions every day. We need everybody to be safe this New Year’s Eve. Do not gather in large groups.”

The state reported 3,784 new cases of the virus, the seventh largest one-day figure. That raised the seven-day rolling average for the first time in eight days, to 2,150, about what it was on Saturday, Dec. 26.

Beshear reported 29 more deaths attributed to Covid-19, raising the seven-day average of deaths to 22.4 and the 14-day average to 25.8. The total is 2,623.

Kentucky hospitalizations for Covid-19 also increased, to 1,673, with 433 of those patients in intensive-care units (14% higher than Tuesday) and 234 ICU patients on ventilators (11% higher than Tuesday).

A third hospital region, Barren River, jumped well above 80% ICU capacity, the threshold for concern. The state's daily report said 86.1% of the region's ICU beds are occupied. The most critical region is Lake Cumberland, at 95.6%. The easternmost region, from Lee County to Pike County, is at 85.3%.

Auditor infected: State Auditor Mike Harmon announced that he and wife tested positive for the virus, have mild symptoms, and are isolating. He said she was tested Tuesday morning after learning that she might have been exposed to the virus, and when her test was positive, he got tested, too.

Auditor Mike Harmon

Harmon, 54, was among the latest round of state officials who got the vaccine Monday, but vaccines usually take a week or two to gain full effect, and both of the coronavirus vaccines in use require a follow-up booster shot three to four weeks after the first dose to be considered fully effective.

Harmon said, “While the timing of my positive test comes one day after receiving the Covid-19 vaccine, I still have full faith in the vaccine itself, and the need for as many people to receive it as quickly as possible.”

At least one of Harmon's fellow constitutional officers turned down Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear's invitation to get the vaccine, as a way to encourage constituents to get one. Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles, who like Harmon is a term-limited Republican interested in unseating Beshear in the 2023 election, issued a statement that read in part:

Commissioner Ryan Quarles

"I plan on taking the vaccine, but I will wait for my turn in line. Though I appreciate the governor’s invitation, as a healthy 37-year old man with no underlying conditions I would rather my early access vaccine be given to a high-risk individual like a frontline worker or a resident of a long-term care facility, two groups who have unfortunately borne the brunt of the coronavirus. I understand the Centers for Disease Control’s recommendation that officials like the governor and top legislators be vaccinated for the sake of government continuity, but I do not believe rank-and-file politicians should be leapfrogging over those who are at higher risk of infection."

In other coronavirus news Wednesday:

• The 29 newly confirmed Covid-19 fatalities were two women, 63 and 75, and an 81-year-old man from Bath County; a Bell County woman, 67; a woman, 96, and a man, 82, from Boone County; a Campbell County man, 86; three women, 80, 88 and 91, and two men, 70 and 84, from Fayette County; two women, 69 and 73, and two men, 68 and 82, from Floyd County; a Hopkins County man, 96; five Jefferson County women, 54, 71, 85, 100 and 100; a Johnson County woman, 78; a Kenton County man, 88; a Lawrence County woman, 79; a Lewis County woman, 82; a Mason County man, 67; a Monroe County woman, 93; and a Perry County man, 90.
• Counties with more than 10 new cases were: Jefferson, 527; Fayette, 259; Kenton, 141; Hardin, 125; Pulaski, 104; Christian. 101; Laurel, 99; Boone, 97; Warren, 96; Daviess, 91; Boyle, 87; Pike, 75; Oldham, 74; Bullitt, 65; Clay, 57; Greenup, 57; Boyd, 55; Bourbon, 50; Campbell, Hopkins and Whitley, 48; Bell, 41; McCracken, 40; Madison, 38; Graves, 34; Harlan, 33; Knox and Nelson, 32; Fleming, 31; Marshall, Meade, Montgomery and Muhlenberg, 29; Carter, Franklin and Jessamine, 28; Allen, Clinton and Taylor, 27; Calloway, Lawrence and Mason, 26; Henderson and Shelby, 25; Anderson and Scott, 24; Floyd, Grayson, Lincoln and Wayne, 23; Breckinridge and Woodford, 22; Clark, 21; Butler, Johnson, Perry, Rockcastle, Rowan and Todd, 18; Logan and Ohio, 17; Barren, Hancock and LaRue, 15; Breathitt, Garrard, Russell and Webster, 14; Henry, Knott, Lewis, Mercer, Simpson and Spencer, 13; Carroll, Hart, Jackson, McCreary and Monroe, 12; and Metcalfe, 11.
• Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that President Trump's demand for additional relief checks to Americans "has no realistic path to quickly pass the Senate." McConnell had combined the proposal with two others, which Democrats called "poison pills," but he cited the national debt and the lack of targeting: "It is hardly clear that the federal government’s top priority should be sending thousands of dollars to, for example, a childless couple making well into six figures who have been comfortably teleworking all year." He concluded, “The Senate is not going to be bullied into rushing out more borrowed money into the hands of the Democrats’ rich friends who don’t need the help. We just approved almost a trillion dollars in aid a few days ago. It struck a balance between broad support for all kinds of households and a lot more targeted relief for those who need help most."
• "The virus does not seem to spread much within schools when they require masks, urge social distancing, have good ventilation and when community spread is low," The Washington Post reports, summarizing the latest research. "But because of a lack of a cohesive federal response, huge gaps in the data remain, and many say new information about school transmission is not sufficient to make far-reaching conclusions."