FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — Gov. Andy Beshear announced during his Tuesday press conference that there are 147 new cases of COVID-19 in Kentucky and that the state's total is currently at 1,149. Beshear also announced seven new coronavirus-related deaths in Kentucky, bringing the state's coronavirus-related death total to 65 (One of the Jefferson County cases reported on Monday was an Indiana resident).
The 147 cases are the most cases reported in Kentucky in a single day. However, Beshear believes that some labs not reporting over the weekend may have attributed to the number.
"While this is a large number, and it is, we still don't see the numbers going the same way in Kentucky as in so many other places," Beshear said. "What we will say is that today is the largest number of cases that we have been reported, but our three day trend is actually lower than our last three day trend. I'm not sure many places in America can say that right now."
Beshear also raised concerns about coronavirus in one of Kentucky's prisons, the Green River Correctional Complex in Central City. Beshear said 14 individuals from the facility have tested positive for COVID-19. Of those 14 individuals, nine are inmates and five are staff.
Deputy Secretary of Workforce Development in Kentucky Josh Benton also explained that staff are being trained and added daily to help with the unemployment call center line. Benton noted that on an average period of time, there are 12 people on the call center line.
"Our goal by the end of the week is to be around 1,000 to 1,200 people on the call center line. That is up from 12 three weeks ago," Benton said. "If we need more, we'll add more. Our priority is to fix this. We know it is the thing that is taking the longest and we wish it wasn't. We are doing everything we can to add capacity."
The demographics of the seven individuals who suffered coronavirus-related deaths are listed below.
-85-year-old male in Jefferson County
-70-year-old male in Jefferson County
-60-year-old male in Jefferson County
-42-year-old male in Jefferson County
-94-year-old female in Lyon County
-72-year-old female in Lyon County
-83-year-old female in Adair County
