FRANKFORT, Ky. – As of 2 p.m. Oct. 18, Gov. Beshear announced at least 87,607 coronavirus cases in Kentucky, 812 of which were newly reported Sunday. One hundred and sixteen of the newly reported cases were from children up through age 18, of which 28 were 5 and under. The youngest was just 1 month old.
There were five more deaths on Sunday, bringing the death total to 1,317. The reported deaths included a 76-year-old man from Boyd County; a 73-year-old woman from Fayette County; a 67-year-old man from Greenup County; a 91-year-old woman from Lincoln County; and a 91-year-old woman from Marion County.
“As presented over the course of the past week, starting tomorrow, Kentucky will use COVID-19 PCR tests that are sent electronically to calculate the statewide test positivity rate,” said Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner of the Department for Public Health. “PCR tests are the most reliable test for finding active disease in those currently infected and more than 90% of all COVID-19 tests currently performed in Kentucky are PCR tests.”
Dr. Stack reiterated the four main benefits of using electronically reported PCR tests to calculate the positivity rate: automated collection of data, a more stable data stream, filtered for the past seven days and a quick turnaround on testing results.
“We are in a once-in-a-century global pandemic. Lives are continuing to be affected and lives are being lost to this virus,” said Dr. Stack. “Each Kentuckian has to do their part to limit the spread: socially distance, wear masks and practice good hand hygiene.”
Due to limited reporting on Sundays, some information will be delayed until Monday.
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. To see all recent daily reports, click here.
Information about COVID-19 and schools is also being made available. To view the reports, click here for K-12 and here for colleges and universities.