Coronavirus cases up 8.7% over prior week; Covid-19 deaths fall, but remain above month’s average; state attributed 49 last week

By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

New coronavirus cases in Kentucky rose last week and deaths attributed to Covid-19 went down, but remained above the recent average as Kentuckians continued to die from the disease.

The state Department for Public Health‘s latest report showed there were 2,222 new cases of the coronavirus last week, or 317 cases per day. That’s 8.7% more than the prior week, when the state reported 2,044 new cases, 292 per day.

The state attributed 49 more deaths to Covid-19 last week, down from 66 the week before. The state’s Covid-19 dashboard indicates that the attribution of deaths is running about a month behind the dates of death.

Over the last four weeks, the state has reported an average of nearly 44 Covid-related deaths each week. The state’s death toll from Covid-19 is now 18,292.

The best way to protect yourself from the virus is to get vaccinated and there’s still plenty of Kentuckians who need to do so. State data show that only 58% of Kentucky’s total population is “fully vaccinated” and only 39% have been boosted.

The weekly new case rate was 6.91 cases per 100,000 residents, up from 6.17 the week before. The top 10 counties were Fleming, 32.33 cases per 100,000; Clinton, 20.97; Elliott, 19; Wayne, 17.56; Powell, 17.34; Rowan, 16.35; Russell, 15.14; Rockcastle, 14.55; Green, 14.36; and Martin, 14.04.