Gov. Andy Beshear reported 467 new COVID-19 cases and nine deaths as of Sunday afternoon, bringing the state’s totals to 43,529 cases and 881 deaths.
He warned that numbers reported on Sunday are not complete, due to limited reporting.
Seventy-nine of the cases reported were from children 18 and younger and include 15 children 5 and younger. The youngest was three days old.
There were 20 cases reported in Kenton County, five in Boone County, and one in Campbell County.
“We remain in a plateau with our number of new cases, which is positive, but we have to see those numbers steadily decline,” Beshear said. “All of your sacrifices are working, and we must all continue to be patient and do our part to drive those numbers down.”
He noted concern about the number of young people with COVID.
“We are seeing a steady number of coronavirus cases among the young in Kentucky, and make no mistake: Youth is not a guarantee of a good outcome against this virus,” the Governor said.
The deaths reported Sunday included a 63-year-old man from Johnson County; a 63-year-old man from Shelby County; two men from Lewis County, ages 73 and 78; a 72-year-old man from Knox County; a 77-year-old woman from Oldham County; and an 88-year-old woman from Scott County. Green County lost two residents, a 90-year-old woman and a 91-year-old man.
“The mask mandate, group restriction to 10 or less and other steps implemented in July have made a positive impact,” said Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Public Health. “Based on the number of new cases, Kentucky concludes this week at the end of a new and elevated four-week plateau.”
He noted, “While this is good news, we remain in a difficult place and Kentucky could quickly begin a rapid escalation. These are difficult times without simple solutions.
“Through their actions, local leaders have an obligation to keep the virus under control to reduce the risk of medical harm to their students, staff, and larger communities.
“Please, socially distance greater than six feet. Wear a mask at all times when in public and around others. Wash your hands often. Check for signs of infection and get tested if ill. Cooperate with contact tracing if you are called. If we do these things, we can contain the coronavirus and get back to more of the activities we miss.”
For additional information, including up-to-date lists of positive cases and deaths, as well as breakdowns of coronavirus infections by county, race and ethnicity, click here.