COVID-19 appears to be coming back in Kentucky as the weekly figures released Monday showed an increase in new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths, as well as the positivity rate, although the community level remained in the green for 116 counties.
A total of 3,394 new cases were reported to state public health officials for the week ending Monday, up from 2,997 the previous week, which itself was a decline from two weeks ago.
Nine counties reported 50 or more new cases this past week. Jefferson had 1,276, Fayette 343, Kenton 87, Campbell 72, Scott 64, Bullitt and Madison 62, Boone 60, and Hardin 50.
In Jefferson County, the number of new cases was up more than 61% from the previous week’s total of 787.
The latest hospital census shows 187 Kentuckians hospitalized with COVID. Of them, 31 are in the ICU and 13 patients are on a ventilator. A week ago, those numbers were 166, 24 and eight, respectively.
There were 156 more COVID-related deaths reported during the past week, bringing the pandemic total in Kentucky to 15,568. The previous week saw 116 deaths, with 97 the week before.
Last week all 120 counties were in the “green,” meaning a low COVID-19 community level, according to the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently revamped designations for spread of the disease. This week, four counties are “yellow,” indicating a medium community level. Those counties are Bourbon, Henderson, Nicholas, and Union.
The CDC guidance for yellow counties urges residents to consider universal mask use in indoor public settings and to follow isolation and quarantine guidance, including getting tested is exposed to someone with COVID, or if you have symptoms.
Kentucky’s positivity rate, the ratio of positive tests to the total number taken continued its rise of the past several weeks, now stands at 5.67%. Back on April 4, it was only 1.97%.
Gov. Andy Beshear noted, “It’s a little bit harder for us to track cases, given the number of home testing kits that are being used. Somebody who tests positive but otherwise feels fine, they may never show up in the system.”
He reminds people, “If you are positive with a home testing kit, please call your local health department, and let them also talk to you about it. I’m not asking them to do that because of the numbers, I’m asking them to do that for their health.”
For the latest information go to the Department for Public Health’s website, http://kycovid19.ky.gov/.
Kentucky Today
