NEWS

Coronavirus in Kentucky: 659 new cases, 7 deaths

Keely Brown
Cincinnati Enquirer

Contact tracing update

Mark Carter from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services provided an update on the commonwealth's contact tracing progress on Thursday.

There are currently 631 contact tracers, 190 disease investigators, 54 regional team members and 11 social support connectors in Kentucky, Carter said.

"I feel like the progress is good – we're in good shape," he said. "But we all worry about what might happen with the spread of the virus and what that might mean for our public health response."

659 new cases, 7 deaths

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear on Thursday reported 659 new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, bringing the commonwealth's total to 29,386.

Twenty-two children under five years old have tested positive for COVID-19, Beshear said.

There were seven new deaths today, he said. This brings the total number of deaths in Kentucky to 731.

The number of people currently hospitalized is 587, bringing the total number of patients ever hospitalized in the state to 3,304. 

There are 110 Kentuckians currently in intensive care units, increasing the total ever in the ICU to 1,133. 

"Those numbers are generally good; they say that we still have time to get control of the number of cases before our hospital system would get close to being overwhelmed," he said. "Though regionally, we are seeing some issues here and there."

Rules for reopening Kentucky workplaces

Gov. Andy Beshear on Thursday reviewed ten guidelines for reopening workplaces in Kentucky.

The guidelines include:

  • Continue telework where possible
  • Phased return to work
  • Onsite temperature and health checks
  • Universal masks and any other necessary PPE
  • Close common areas
  • Enforce social distancing
  • Limit face-to-face meetings
  • Sanitizer and hand wash stations
  • Special accommodations
  • Testing plan

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