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Kentucky up to 594 cases of COVID-19, 18 total deaths

Posted at 5:19 PM, Mar 31, 2020
and last updated 2020-04-01 14:08:27-04

FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — Gov. Andy Beshear announced during his Tuesday press conference that there are 114 new cases of COVID-19 in Kentucky, bringing the state's total 594. The 114 new cases are the largest day-to-day jump since COVID-19 was first reported in Kentucky.

Beshear also reported seven new coronavirus-related deaths, bringing Kentucky's coronavirus-related death total to 18.

The seven new victims are an 88-year-old female from Fayette County, a 74-year-old male from Bullitt County, an 87-year-old female from Jefferson County, an 81-year-old female from Jefferson County, a 74-year-old male from Jefferson County, a 66-year-old male from Jefferson County and an individual in their 80's from Campbell County.

"There are probably going to be days where we have more than six new deaths, and that is going to be hard," Beshear said. "But that is what this virus is and that is why we are working so hard to reduce our number of contacts and protect the people around us."

Beshear also announced that child care options will be expanded to grocery store workers. Those options were already available to first responders and healthcare workers.

"We need them. We know that the food supply chain is safe but we have to make sure that we have enough people there stocking the shelves day in and day out," Beshear said of grocery store workers. "This was a change we were able to make knowing that we had the capacity in our existing facilities that are providing that childcare service. We need our grocery store workers and we want to thank them for what they are doing."

Beshear also signed an executive order that allows local state and counties to hire back police, firefighters, emergency medical services (EMS) and corrections officers that have retired with no penalty to their retirement.

"Right now, with folks having to go into self-quarantine and when folks test positive, it could take out an entire fire department in some areas," Beshear explained. "This is going to allow us to have a bigger pool of people to pull from. This was something specifically asked by our sheriffs and police chiefs."

The day-by-day numbers of cases of COVID-19 in Kentucky dating back to March 20 are listed below.

March 20 - 63 confirmed cases
March 21 - 87 confirmed cases
March 22 - 103 confirmed cases
March 23 - 124 confirmed cases
March 24 - 163 confirmed cases
March 25 - 198 confirmed cases
March 26 - 248 confirmed cases
March 27 - 302 confirmed cases
March 28 - 394 confirmed cases
March 29 - 439 confirmed cases
March 30 - 480 confirmed cases
March 31 - 594 confirmed cases