By Tom Latek
Kentucky Today
Data released this week by the Kentucky Department for Public Health shows that COVID-19 community levels remain low in an increasing number of Kentucky counties, with fewer in the medium category and a slight increase in high levels.
The COVID Community Levels map, generated from data compiled by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) rates counties as having a low, medium, or high community level by whether their color is green, yellow or red.
The December 16 map shows 78 green counties, an increase of 14 from last week; 27 were yellow, down 17 from a week ago, while 15 counties were in the red, three more than the December 9 report.
“This is our Post Thanksgiving bump, but it’s nothing like it used to be,” said Gov. Andy Beshear. “Who would have thought our Post Thanksgiving bump would have a lot of green in it and a lot of yellow? Folks should be cognizant as we come into Christmas, make sure if you’re sick you stay home, make sure you test yourself if you think you may have COVID. There are a lot of at home tests out there.”
More free home COVID tests are once again being made available by the federal government. Every U.S. household is eligible to order 4 free at-home COVID-19 tests. Go to https://www.covid.gov/tests to order yours, which will be delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. Kits will start shipping on Monday, December 19.
For more details on Kentucky’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, community levels and more, go to the state’s website.
Influenza continues to see a spike in cases across Kentucky. There were 6,240 new cases reported during the week ending December 10, the latest period for which data is available. That brings the state’s seasonal total to 29,341 confirmed cases, along with 57 deaths, which is nearly double the 29 deaths reported last week. The flu is considered “widespread” in Kentucky, the highest level of the five categories, which are no activity, sporadic, local, regional and widespread.
Beshear noted, “In recent years, this level of flu was not observed until much, much later in the season. The majority of cases have been identified as Type A, and the current flu vaccine is really good against Type A. So get your flu shot.”