Beshear calls it ‘a scary time’ because Covid-19 case average and hospital numbers hit new high; many intensive-care units full – Times Tribune of…

Posted: September 6, 2021 at 2:55 pm

Kentucky saw its fourth highest number of new coronavirus cases Friday and again set new records for Covid-19 hospitalizations, intensive-care-unit and ventilator use, prompting Gov. Andy Beshear to call this "one of the most dangerous times we've had in this pandemic."

"I hope I can convey how real this is," Beshear said in a Facebook post. "I hope that we'll see more people out there wearing masks when they're in public, but indoors. Folks, it is a scary time -- definitely if you are unvaccinated, but if you are vaccinated too. Please get your shot of hope; put on your mask. We need everybody's help to stop this."

The state reported 5,111 new cases Friday, with 1,547, or 30 percent, in people 18 and under. The seven-day average is 4,282, a new high.

The share of Kentuckians testing positive for the virus dropped for the third straight day, to 13.17%. Beshear said Thursday that the drops are likely due to more testing.

Kentucky's infection rate is third in the nation,accordingtoThe New York Times. Only Tennessee and South Carolina have higher rates. The Times reports that Kentucky's daily average number of cases has risen 34% in the last two weeks.

The state says its daily rate of new cases over the last seven days is 89.89 per 100,000 residents. Counties with double that rate areOwsley, 262.1; Perry, 226.8; Leslie, 224.2; Bell, 219.5; Clay, 211; Whitley, 195.4; Russell, 183.3; and Breathitt, 179.8.

All but three counties remain in the red zone, for counties with more than 25 daily cases per 100,000 residents, considered a high level of transmission. They are Woodford, Trigg and Carlisle counties.

Kentucky hospitals reported 2,365 Covid-19 patients; 661 in intensive care, and 425 on mechanical ventilation.

All but two of the state's hospital readiness regions are using more than 90% of their staffed intensive-care beds, with the Lake Cumberland region and the western region that includes Owensboro and Hopkinsville at 100% capacity.

The state reported 24 more Covid-19 deaths Friday, bringing the death toll to 7,845.

Hazard ARH Regional Medical Center's morgue reached capacity on Wednesday night,accordingto a hospital news release posted on the hospital'sFacebookpage.Engle-Bowling Funeral Homein Hazard is providing additional morgue space as families make their funeral arrangements.

"This morgue capacity issue is a tragic consequence of this pandemic that could easily be prevented if more people would choose to be vaccinated against Covid-19 and take other precautions to help protect themselves and limit the spread of the virus to others by wearing a mask while indoors and social distancing," Dr. Maria Braman, ARH chief medical officer, said in a news release.

Vaccination rates have inched up in Kentucky, showing a 9% increase in the last seven days, with an average of 14,642 doses per day administered,accordingtoThe Washington Post.

The percentage of Kentuckians 18 and older who have received at least one dose of a vaccine is 69% and 57% of the total population has received at least one dose.

Other pandemic news Friday:

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Beshear calls it 'a scary time' because Covid-19 case average and hospital numbers hit new high; many intensive-care units full - Times Tribune of...

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