Gov. Andy Beshear reported 2,860 new cases this afternoon, a record number for a Sunday, when cases are usually lower due to labs being closed.
The previous record for a Sunday was on Nov. 29, the Sunday after Thanksgiving, when the state confirmed 2,803 new cases.
Twenty-five more Kentuckians have died of the virus. That brings the state’s total number of coronavirus-related deaths to 2,533.
Additionally, the state’s positivity rate jumped up to 11.1%. Public health experts have said that positivity rates above 5% are too dangerous to have large swaths of the economy open.
However, in his release on Facebook, Beshear said the increase in the positivity rate was due to a drop in testing over the winter holidays.
“The state’s elevated positivity rate is likely due to some labs and public testing sites being closed over the holiday, which increases the percentage of tests conducted in medical settings where patients are experiencing symptoms and suspect they have the virus,” the post reads.
Beshear said he will offer a fuller explanation of Sunday’s numbers during a 4 p.m. Monday briefing.
