COVID-19 cases in KY on the rise, doubling to 969 from 480 in July
In summer’s final weeks, COVID-19 is making an unwelcome return across Kentucky.
New data from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services shows cases of the virus have jumped significantly in the past few weeks: 969 cases have been reported this month through Aug. 21.
That figure stood at 216 in June, but then jumped to 480 cases in July.
State officials say Fayette County has reported 50 emergency department encounters of COVID-19 between Aug. 1-21. That number is more than double the 23 cases reporting in June. July saw an uptick to 27 cases.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists Kentucky as one of the 34 states where COVID-19 infections are growing or likely growing. There is a 98% chance that the COVID-19 total is growing, and there are zero states experiencing decline in COVID-19 infections, according to the CDC.
However, the weekly percentage of COVID-19 cases diagnosed in emergency rooms is low, according to the CDC.
The New York Times highlighted a few reasons why COVID-19 cases traditionally spike in the summer months. One reason was people spending more time in air-conditioned, indoor environments, trying to escape the heat.
Other cited reasons: Higher travel rates and large gatherings during the summer months.
People could also be losing their immunity to the virus in the summer months if they had COVID-19 in the winter, which is the prime season to catch the virus. The New York Times reported that immunity from the virus lasts around four to six months, expiring just in time for summer if you caught the virus in the winter.
Uptick in cases matches trends from previous summers
In August 2024, there were 335 cases of COVID-19 in Fayette County, more than the 184 cases from May, June and July combined. The caseload shrank to 170 in September and 49 in October, according to the cabinet.
In 2023, COVID-19 cases in Fayette County gradually climbed from 27 in June to 285 in September, before declining to 133 in October, according to state data.
There is a similar pattern of more summer COVID-19 cases across the entire state. In 2024, COVID-19 cases increased from 370 in May to 5,785 in August before dropping to 3,022 in September.
This story was originally published August 21, 2025 at 3:19 PM.
