Gov. Andy Beshear announced 775 new cases of coronavirus in Kentucky on Thursday, and 130 are in children ages 18 and under.
Most school districts in the commonwealth have resumed classes for the year, though Jefferson County Public Schools and others are having classes virtually, for now. Warren County schools are open for in-person instruction, and Beshear said there are 11 high school-aged students there who are newly diagnosed.
"I hope that contact tracing is going fast," he said, "because that school system is open."
Kentucky's positivity rate is now 4.8%. 573 people are hospitalized, with 154 in intensive care. And a total of 910 Kentuckians have now lost their lives since the pandemic began.
Beshear's Senior Advisor Rocky Adkins said his father, Jess Adkins, is now among those who have recovered from COVID-19.
Adkins joined the governor's briefing early last week to report that his dad was hospitalized with the virus. During Thursday's briefing, he said his father was cleared to go home.
"But even as he returned home yesterday, folks, there's 910 people that's not returning home," Adkins said. "This is a team effort. This is not an effort to divide people across Kentucky. This is an effort where we've got to come together to defeat this virus."
Beshear said milestones like the beginning of summer and the first day of school can emphasize how long the pandemic has been going on (Kentucky had its first case 174 days ago, in case you lost count). That can make people frustrated and fatigued, Beshear said.
"For me, this week has been hard. I'm tired, just like everybody else is out there," he said. "But you know what doesn't give a darn? Is this virus. Not one darn at all."
He said he believes there will eventually be a vaccine or treatment for COVID-19, but in the meantime, he urged Kentuckians to keep taking care of themselves and following the guidelines to stay healthy.
The governor laid out his plans for the weekend: to rest, get exercise, spend time with his family, and come back next week feeling refreshed. "I'm gonna do what's required to help lift up my mental health and my emotional health," he said. "Because we're going to be battling this virus for a while."
