A map from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows estimated community levels of COVID-19 in each Kentucky County, with counties in orange being considered as having the highest levels of risk.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that just over two-thirds of Kentucky counties have an elevated risk of coronavirus transmission, with many of them at high risk for more than three weeks in a row.
Thirty-seven counties are orange on the latest CDC risk map, indicating a high level of risk. That’s down from 43 on last week’s map, but several counties are newly orange.
Forty-four counties are yellow, indicating a medium level of risk. Last week, 35 were yellow.
The rankings are based on new coronavirus cases, hospital admissions and hospital capacity.
Two Kentucky counties have been orange for seven consecutive weeks: Greenup and Boyd. Eight have been orange for five weeks in a row: Lyon, Livingston, Woodford, Fayette, Wolfe, Breathitt, Leslie and Perry. And nine have been orange for three weeks in a row: Hickman, Carlisle, Ballard, Graves, McCracken, Marshall, Crittenden, Powell and Pike.
Other orange counties are Daviess, Barren, Metcalfe, Cumberland, Pulaski, Boyle, Mercer, Scott, Jessamine, Clark, Letcher, Rowan, Lewis, Carter, Lawrence, Johnson, Martin and Floyd.
Gov. Andy Beshear referred to the orange counties as red at his weekly news conference and encouraged Kentuckians living in these counties to take precautions.
“If you are in a red county, you ought to consider what steps you take to protect yourself,” he said. “Certainly we recommend in large public gatherings without significant circulation that people consider wearing a mask and a good mask. But the number one thing you can do, if you’re in a red county to protect yourself is get vaccinated. And if you’re vaccinated get boosted. If you have all that, good, consider wearing the mask.”
Beshear stressed that getting a vaccine booster shot provides a significant amount of protection to you and your family, adding that only about one-third of Kentuckians have been boosted.
