These 10 Ky. counties are rated ‘high’ under CDC’s latest COVID community level update
Though COVID-19 trends seem to be improving in the Bluegrass State, 10 Kentucky counties remain listed as “high” by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under the agency’s Thursday update to coronavirus community levels.
The levels — measured as low, medium and high — are calculated based on new cases and hospitalizations per U.S. county, along with hospital capacity.
This week, the number of Kentucky counties considered high fell from 25 the week prior to 10. They include Breathitt, Casey, Clark, Knott, Laurel, Perry, Powell, Scott, Whitley and Wolfe counties. As such, these are the counties where the CDC recommends mask-wearing.
Fayette County remains classified as medium, as it did in the March 17 update, with 110.47 cases per 100,000 people and an inpatient hospital bed utilization of 4.1%.
A dense knot of counties in the eastern part of the state that have remained at a high COVID community level since the CDC rolled out the scoring method in late February has begun to lessen. Bell and Harlan counties, which were considered high as of March 17, have fallen to low. Martin, Lawrence and Carter counties are also among those that have fallen from high to low in a week’s time.
Meanwhile, four counties in the western part of the state that had been considered low were upgraded this week to medium. Those are Ballard, McCraken, Carlisle and Hickman counties.
You can explore the county where you live and work below.
What do the community levels mean? Where do I need to wear a mask in Kentucky?
The COVID community levels for all U.S. counties are updated on a weekly basis and meant to empower local officials to make decisions regarding public health guidelines and prevention measures, the CDC says.
Under the most recent federal guidance, the agency recommends donning a mask in public, indoor spaces in counties considered high, though recommendations differ slightly for those considered at higher risk if they contract COVID-19.
Is another coronavirus variant on the horizon?
BA.2, a subvariant of omicron, is responsible for as much as an estimated 70% of new cases in some stretches of the U.S., The Washington Post reported Tuesday. The CDC says the subvariant accounts for 35% of cases nationally, though that figure is higher in some regions.
Several European countries have already experienced a wave of new cases from BA.2. Top federal health officials in the U.S. said while they expect an uptick in cases, they do not foresee an increase in severity of the disease to drive a surge.
As of Friday, more than 79.8 million people in the U.S. have tested positive for COVID-19, and the death toll for the country stands at 975,000. Five thousand people in the U.S. died in the week preceding the March 25 update.
The coronavirus vaccine is readily available across the U.S., including in Kentucky, where 56% of the population is fully vaccinated, according to state Department of Public Health.
Fayette County leads the commonwealth in vaccination status, with 77% of the population having received at least one dose. Spencer County brings up the rear at 34%.