KY counties at low COVID level. What it means for cases and how to find latest data
This week’s updated COVID-19 community levels map from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention holds good news for Kentucky: all 120 counties are at low as of Thursday.
The number of counties at elevated community levels has been declining in recent weeks, though last week the CDC still graded five Kentucky counties at medium.
Elliott, Menifee, Morgan, Pike and Rowan counties have all moved to the low category this week.
The community level metric is updated by the federal agency each Thursday and covers all U.S. counties. The community levels are determined based on new cases and hospitalizations per 100,000 people (seven-day totals) and the percent of staffed hospital beds occupied by COVID patients (seven-day average).
In counties at high, the CDC recommends under scaled-back guidance to mask in public, indoor places. That recommendation extends to medium-level counties for those more at risk for severe illness.
Like the Bluegrass State, the U.S. at large is seeing improvements going into spring, with new weekly cases reported nationwide at 139,991 as of March 29, according to the CDC.
COVID-19 cases in Kentucky
The federal agency reports seven-day metrics for Kentucky include 2,038 new cases and 49 new deaths. The state’s case rate sits around 45.6 for every 100,000 people.
Despite the improvement in community levels, this week’s case count is up from last week by 77 cases.
To date, 18,349 Kentuckians have succumbed to COVID-19, according to the state Department for Public Health.
As of March, the state is reporting COVID data through an interactive dashboard, which no longer includes some metrics, like the positivity rate. Weeks ago, state officials announced they would roll back some reporting measures as the nation prepares for the end of the public health emergency May 11.
COVID-19 in Fayette County
In the latest reporting week, running March 25 to 31, Fayette County recorded 120 new cases of the virus, a drop of 32 cases from the week prior.
In addition to new cases, the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department also confirmed one death, bringing the total for the county to 751 since the onset of the pandemic.
COVID-19 boosters are free and readily available across the U.S. The CDC advises those whose last shot was prior to September 2022 to seek a booster or start the initial series if they’ve never received the vaccine.
The LFCHD offers the vaccine at its weekly public health clinic, and you can make an appointment by calling 859-288-2483.
To find another provider near you, visit vaccines.gov.
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