FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) – A 1-year-old child is among Kentucky’s 158 new coronavirus cases, Gov. Andy Beshear said Saturday.
The Democratic governor said the state’s caseload continues to plateau, but stressed during his daily news conference that people must continue following safety guidelines.
“Summer’s coming, I know people want to do more, I just want to remind us that this is still out there,” he said.
Beshear reported six additional virus deaths, bringing the state’s total fatalities to 304 people. At least 6,440 people have tested positive, he said. The number of virus patients hospitalized in intensive care units rose to 226, as it continued to climb in the past couple weeks.
“That’s something to watch as we continue to move forward,” Beshear said of the ICU patients.
The governor has said he plans to test residents and staffers at all nursing homes in the state in about two months. Roughly half Kentucky’s virus deaths have been people who were at nursing homes.
Next Monday will usher in reopenings for factories and some businesses as part of Beshear’s plan to gradually restart the parts of Kentucky’s economy stalled by the pandemic. The phase-in starting Monday includes a broad resumption of manufacturing and construction work, and applies to such businesses as car and boat dealerships, professional services and pet grooming and boarding.
The governor stressed that businesses have to follow “healthy at work” guidelines when reopening.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up within weeks. For some, especially older adults and those with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, even death.
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Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak.
