Although the number of new COVID-19 cases remains high across Kentucky, Governor Andy Beshear said Wednesday afternoon the positivity rate continues to drop and the state is going in the right direction.
Beshear reported 776 new positive coronavirus cases, including 91 under 18 years old. He said the state’s positivity rate is currently below 4%.
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Beshear shared the White House’s Red Zone Report released this week, which is counties in the state with a 10% positivity rate or higher. He said for the first time since getting these reports Jefferson and Fayette counties and the metro areas are not listed in the Red Zone. However, the report does include Christian, Trigg, and some other counties in western Kentucky.
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During a Christian County Health Department update Wednesday afternoon, Director Kayla Bebout explained why the positivity rate released by the White House is higher than the health department’s positivity rate. She said the positivity rate in the county dropped to 8.8% last week and is 7.9% for the month, which only includes testing conducted by the health department at Tie Breaker Park.
click to download audioMark Carter with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services provided an update on contract tracing and gave a shout-out to several health department directors, including Kayla Bebout in Christian County. He expressed his gratitude for their help with increasing the utilization of the contract tracing system and said the health directors went above and beyond their call of duty.
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Beshear also reported eight new deaths Wednesday, including the deaths announced Tuesday by the Christian County Health Department involving a 49-year old woman and 76-year old male.
In addition, the governor said CDC Director Robert Redfield stated that face masks remain the most important tool to protect the public and slow the spread of COVID-19. The governor first issued the mask mandate in Kentucky in July and then extended it until the end of August. Beshear said during his Wednesday briefing, Kentuckians can expect the mask mandate will be extended into October.
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