PADUCAH — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says McCracken County currently has high COVID-19 community levels. But Purchase District Health Department Director Kent Koster believes there’s an error with the data.
Koster declined to be interviewed on camera, but he told us via text message that he believes the CDC community level map is incorrect for McCracken County. Koster said there was an error in uploading data, which put McCracken County in the high community level instead of the low.
Health departments say cases numbers are rising, but there may be some discrepancies between national and local data.
Koster said there may be an error with the CDC numbers. However, he also said the past few weeks have seen a jump in cases.
He said numbers for McCracken County jumped from 17 cases three weeks ago to 175 cases two weeks ago. That went to 167 cases one week ago to 209 cases just this past week.
Koster said while the BA-2 subvariant is highly transmissible, hospitalizations remain low.
Marshall County Health Department Director Billy Pitts said COVID-19 cases are increasing in his county.
“One of the things that the CDC and the Kentucky Department of Public Health try to point out to people is that cases are on the rise again,” said Pitts. “Our hope is that the intense illnesses, those that are hospitalized and deaths do not follow that same pattern.”
Pitts said in Marshall County, there were 18 cases in April.
There are currently 70. He says the increase is concerning.
We also spoke with Mercy Health Lourdes Hospital. Over the long weekend, health care professionals say to take precautions, avoid large crowds, wash your hands regularly and keep up with your COVID-19 vaccinations.
Local 6 also spoke with folks with the Southern Seven Health Department in Illinois.
They said many case are currently going unreported because people are using at-home tests or are not being tested at all.
The Southern Seven Health Department encourages people to be aware, especially if they have an underlying health condition, are immunocompromised or are unvaccinated.
