A nonprofit publication of the Kentucky Center for Public Service Journalism

COVID report: Substantial drop in cases, deaths and hospitalizations; 37 counties had 100 or more cases


By Tom Latek
Kentucky Today

For the second week in a row, the number of new cases of COVID-19 as well as deaths in Kentucky saw a substantial drop in new cases, according to the weekly report issued by the Department for Public Health on Monday afternoon.

During the seven-day period ending Aug. 2, there were 12,381 new cases of COVID reported in the state. That is down from 14,409 reported a week ago, and 15,652 cases the week before that. There have now been 1,521,375 cases in Kentucky, since the first one was confirmed in March 2020.

Thirty-seven counties have had 100 or more new cases in the past week, five more than appeared in the previous report. The 10 counties with the highest number were:  Jefferson 1,773, Fayette 754, Hardin 490, Warren 405, Harlan 397, Laurel 293, Hopkins 255, Madison 254, Perry 241, and Daviess 237.

CDC guidance

Kentucky’s positivity rate, which measures the number of cases from all tests performed, except those with home kits, was 18.96%. That’s up from 18.51% on the August 15 report, and continues a trend of increases, including the 17.89% recorded on Aug. 1.

There was a decrease in COVID-related deaths, with 63 listed in the latest weekly report. Last week there were 76, compared to 67 two weeks ago and 45 on Aug. 1. The pandemic total in Kentucky now stands at 16,603.

The hospital census showed a decline for the second straight week. There were 570 Kentuckians hospitalized with COVID, down from 615 last week, 623 in the previous week, and 602 on August 1. Of this week’s 570 patients, 76 were in an intensive care unit, up one from the past two weeks, and 26 on a ventilator, down one from the past two weeks.

In the weekly COVID Community Level map release last Friday, 73 Kentucky counties were in the red, meaning a high level of COVID, down one from the previous week. Thirty-eight were in the yellow zone, meaning a medium level, while nine were in the green, which represents a low community level.

All three NKY counties were in the middle (yellow) zone.

The Community Levels map is designed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help individuals and communities decide which prevention actions to take based on hospitalizations and cases.

For more details and guidance, based on the community level for your county, go to the state’s COVID-19 website. 


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