Originally published on August 18, 2020 6:41 pm
Gov. Andy Beshear announced 627 new cases of coronavirus in Kentucky on Tuesday, bringing the state鈥檚 total to 40,299.
Though the state鈥檚 positivity rate for the virus has hovered around 5 or 6% (on Tuesday it was 5.48%) Beshear said over 20 counties had positivity rates exceeding 10% 鈥� what the White House has dubbed the 鈥渞ed zone.鈥�
鈥淭his isn鈥檛 just an urban issue. COVID doesn鈥檛 care if you live in a city or if you live in a more rural county, it will infect you just the same,鈥� Beshear said. 鈥淎nd if you have those preexisting conditions or you just have a bad reaction, it can kill you just the same.鈥�
The counties with high positivity rates are: Barren, Bell, Bullitt, Calloway, Clay, Fulton, Green, Hardin, Henry, Hickman, Jefferson, Knox, Logan, Lewis, Powell, Scott, Shelby, Spencer, Warren and Wayne.
There are also more than 40 counties with positivity rates between 5% and 10%, known as the 鈥測ellow zone.鈥�
Some of the counties with the highest positivity rates are planning to open schools to in-person classes later this month, despite Beshear鈥檚 recommendation against it.
Dr. Steven Stack, Kentucky鈥檚 public health commissioner, said schools across the state will be required to report new coronavirus cases to state health officials, and the local school community.
鈥淏ringing kids back to school is not an issue where public health is in any disagreement with education. It鈥檚 not easily that we recommend that schools defer in-person class,鈥� Stack said.
The Kentucky Department of Health will publish reports of coronavirus in schools, but names, ages and genders of people with positive tests will not be included.
Beshear announced 12 new deaths on Tuesday, bringing the state鈥檚 total to 830.
Gov. Andy Beshear鈥檚 top adviser Rocky Adkins also announced that his 84 year-old father, Jess Adkins, has been in the hospital recovering from the coronavirus for more than two weeks.
Adkins said his father is scheduled to move into a rehab center in Lexington soon. He is from Sandy Hook in Elliott County.
鈥淭he cruel thing about this virus is that it separates people instead of bringing people together. I can鈥檛 see my dad. I haven鈥檛 been in the presence of my father in over three months,鈥� he said.
Adkins said he shared his father鈥檚 story to encourage people to check on their neighbors and follow Beshear鈥檚 coronavirus orders and guidelines.
Adkins ran against Beshear during last year鈥檚 Democratic primary for governor.
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