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| New York Times graphs, adapted by Kentucky Health News, show recent cases and long-term trends. |
By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News
New coronavirus cases increased slightly in Kentucky last week, as the percentage of Kentuckians testing positive for the virus in the last seven days was 9.17%, up from 7.64% the week before. These figures do not include at-home tests.
The state Department for Public Health's weekly report for the latest Monday-to-Sunday reporting period said there were 5,242 new cases last week, or an average of 749 per day. That was just 4% higher than the previous week, when the state reported 729 per day.
Nearly 25% of the new cases were in people 18 and younger. That was nearly double the share reported the week before. Health officials continue to encourage families to get school-age children vaccinated.
In Kentucky, state data shows that only 47% of youth ages 16 and 17 are fully vaccinated. The immunized share is 43% for those 12 to 15 and 21% for those 5-11.
Kentucky hospitals reported 265 Covid-19 patients Monday, up three from the week before; 40 of them were in intensive care, down one; and 11 were on mechanical ventilation, down five.
The state's new-case rate was 12.14 per 100,000 residents, up from 9.77 the week earlier. The top 10 counties were Muhlenberg, 40.1; Rockcastle, 25.7; Russell, 23.9; Trigg, 22.4; Leslie, 21.7; Letcher, 21.2; Powell, 20.8; Robertson, 20.3; McCreary, 19.9; Carter, 19.7; and Floyd, 19.7.
The New York Times ranks Kentucky's infection rate 18th among the states, with a 52% drop in cases in the last two weeks. Excluding non-state Puerto Rico's county equivalents, Letcher and Knott counties are among the Times' list of top 10 counties for new-case rates in the nation in the last seven days. (The Times's figures differ from state figures because of differences in data gathering and processing.)
The state attributed 61 more deaths to Covid-19 last week, increasing Kentucky's pandemic death toll to 17,322.
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