Worst week yet for coronavirus cases, and 23 more covid-19 deaths, but positive-test rate drops for 2nd day in a row, to 9.8%

Kentucky Health News graph, from unadjusted initial daily reports

By Al Cross
Kentucky Health News

Kentucky has had more new cases of the novel coronavirus this week than any other, Gov. Andy Beshear announced Saturday. He was talking about the state's Monday-to-Sunday reporting week, which still has a day to go, but his statement also applies to the calendar week ending Saturday.

Beshear's press release didn't give numbers, probably because the daily initial reports of cases are later adjusted slightly to eliminate duplicate positive tests of the same person. But so far in the reporting week that began Monday, 21,277 cases have been reported. In the week before, there were 19,090; the week before that, there were 20,577. Last calendar week, there were 18,481.

The state reported 3,892 new cases Saturday, which for now is the third highest day, and close to the second highest 3,895 reported Thursday, but adjustments will likely lower those figures. The state does not issue adjusted daily figures, but they are used for the weekly totals. The highest day for new cases was Monday, when 4,151 were reported.

This week's high numbers made Saturday's seven-day rolling average of daily new cases the highest yet, 3,440. Noting the high numbers, Beshear said, “We are all sacrificing so much right now; we are all tired – but let’s do what it takes to crush this third surge of cases and defeat this virus once and for all.”

The share of Kentuckians testing positive for the virus in the last seven days dropped for the second day, to 9.8 percent. Thursday's figure of 10.07% was the highest since testing became widespread in May.

Beshear announced 23 more covid-19 deaths, for a total of 2,062 and a record-high seven-day rolling average of 25.3. In the last seven days, 177 deaths have been confirmed.

Saturday's dead were two Barren County men, 77 and 86; a Fayette County man, 55; two Hardin County women, 38 and 41; a Hart County man, 65; a woman, 85, and a man, 67, from Hopkins County; two women, 94 and 98, and two men, 72 and 74, from Jefferson County; a Jessamine County man, 77; an Logan County man, 87; a Metcalfe County woman, 97; two women, 58 and 69, and two men, 70 and 95, from Nelson County; a Simpson County man, 57; and two women, 75 and 103, and a man, 68, from Warren County.

Scott Dennis

Another Nelson County covid-19 death hasn't made the confirmed list yet:. Bloomfield Police Chief Scott Dennis, who died Friday. “Our city not only lost a police chief, but a dear friend, co-worker, husband, and father,” Mayor Chris Dudgeon said on social media. Dennis, 62, had been on a ventilator at Bardstown's Flaget Memorial Hospital for several days, The Kentucky Standard reports: "Dennis took over as the city’s chief of police in 2016 [and] had served as a patrol officer in Bloomfield for a few years and had worked in law enforcement since 1984."

Health Commissioner Steven Stack cautioned that while the first coronavirus vaccine is expected next week, it and other vaccines will be in limited supply, so Kentuckians need to keep their guard up.

“The imminent arrival of covid-19 vaccines is a monumental scientific accomplishment offering great hope that this devastating pandemic can at last be ended,” said Stack, a physician. “Initially, though, very limited quantities of vaccine coupled with complicated and changing distribution logistics mean not everyone can have access at the very start. It’s essential that everyone work together and know that all Kentuckians will be given access as rapidly as vaccine supplies, shipping, storage, and handling limitations allow. There is a bright light of hope ahead; let’s all support each other as we look forward to better days soon.”

Beshear and Attorney General Daniel Cameron waited for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh to rule on Cameron's bid to restore a federal judge's order exempting religious schools from Beshear's ban on in-person schooling. Cameron's mentor, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and 37 other Republican senators filed a brief in support of Cameron; the brief misstated facts by saying that under one of Beshear's previous orders, "Kentucky State Police raided a 'drive-in Easter service' held at Maryville Baptist Church and issued criminal notices to churchgoers worshiping in their own vehicles." Actually, it was an in-person service, held in defiance of Beshear's order against mass gatherings; the notices were placed on vehicles; and they notified the recipients that failure to obey the quarantine order could be a misdemeanor.

In other coronavirus news:

• Beshear asked school superintendents Friday to make lists of school employees who want a coronavirus vaccine. He plans to get them and emergency medical service workers vaccinated after frontline health-care workers and nursing-home residents and employees. He said districts should consider prioritizing employees who are more likely to be exposed to the virus, since supplies of the vaccine will be limited.
• Counties with more than 10 new cases Saturday were: Jefferson, 594; Fayette, 304; Boone, 183; Kenton, 159; Daviess, 138; Campbell, 120; Warren, 112; Oldham, 97; McCracken, 93; Grant, 85; Hardin, 79; Madison, 68; Jessamine, 58; Whitley, 54; Lincoln, 49; Hopkins, 47; Boyle, 46; Boyd, 43; Bullitt, Franklin, Greenup and Taylor, 38; Bath, Calloway and Henderson, 36; Laurel and Ohio, 35; Nelson, 34; Mason and Montgomery, 33; Graves, 31; Christian, Marion, Martin and Pike, 29; Floyd, 27; Caldwell, Clark, Knox and Pulaski, 25; Barren, Owen and Perry, 23; Scott, Simpson and Washington, 22; Livingston, 21; Gallatin, 20; Woodford, 19; Bell and Grayson, 18; Fleming, Pendleton and Shelby, 17; Logan, Mercer and Russell, 16; Carter, Hart, Lee, Lewis and Meade, 15; Bourbon, Letcher and Magoffin, 14; Butler, Garrard, Harlan, Lawrence, Marshall, Morgan, Rockcastle and Rowan, 13; Todd, 12; and Allen, Carroll, Edmonson and Harrison, 11.
• Saturday's hospitalization figures showed some small declines. Covid-19 patients in Kentucky hospitals totaled 1,731, with 401 in intensive care and 226 of those on ventilators.
• African Americans' percentage of Kentucky coronavirus cases and covid-19 deaths continues to decline. The state's daily report says Blacks account for 9.66% of cases and 10.55% of deaths. That is still well above their 8.4% of the state's population.
• The University of Kentucky has moved one of its free coronavirus testing sites for the general public to Kroger Field, due to increased traffic. "UK is also extending the hours at the site, as well as at its other public testing location at Eastern State Hospital at 1350 Bull Lea Road, through the Dec. 30," the Lexington Herald-Leader reports. "Both the Eastern State and Kroger Field sites will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week."