A 15-year-old Ballard County girl has become the first student in Kentucky to die after contracting the coronavirus.
Governor Andy Beshear said Wednesday the girl had “significant pre-existing conditions.” She is only the second Kentucky resident under the age of 20 to die after testing positive for COVID-19.
Her death was one of 15 reported by the governor Wednesday after announcing 33 on Tuesday. The average age of those who died was 73 years old and included a 32-year-old from Jefferson County.
The state reported 2,753 new cases Wednesday — the fourth most with all four reported in the past week. 30-percent of the cases came from Jefferson, Fayette, and Boone counties.
The state’s positivity rate was 9.1-percent with over 1,500 Kentucky residents hospitalized with the virus. The governor also announced over 100 new COVID cases in the state’s long-term care facilities.
Meanwhile, the Christian County Health Department reported 39 new cases Wednesday and 378 active cases — the highest total for the county since the pandemic began. 199 of the cases were between the ages of 22 and 59 and 126 are over the age of 60.