Kentucky's coronavirus infection rate jumps to 16th among the states; its 22% increase in cases the last two weeks ranks ninth

New York Times map, adapted by Ky. Health News; click it to enlarge; interactive version is here.

By Al Cross
Kentucky Health News

The Thanksgiving lull is over and the pandemic is surging again in Kentucky.

The state reported 2,813 new cases of the coronavirus Friday, raising the seven-day rolling average by almost 300, to 2,039, the highest since Oct. 12. The average has been increasing steeply as fewer days from the Thanksgiving holiday period are included, and there are still more of those to come.

The state's seven-day infection rate zoomed to 41.73 per 100,000 residents, up from 35.8 on Thursday. Friday's rate is the highest since Oct. 7. Counties with rates more than double that rate were Cumberland, 123.1; Powell, 119.1; Robertson, 108.4; Carroll, 92.7; Lawrence, 91.4; Hancock, 86.8; Harlan, 84; and McLean, 83.8.

Kentucky's infection rate ranks 16th among the states, a big jump from 21st on Thursday, according to The New York Times. Last week, it was 25th. The Times says cases in the state have risen 22% in the last 14 days, the ninth fastest increase among the states; Missouri was first, Indiana was sixth and Illinois was 10th.

The number of Covid-19 patients in Kentucky hospitals fell by 15, to 972, but illness became more serious; 284 were in intensive care, 25 more than Thursday, and 156 were on mechanical ventilation, a big jump of 24.

All but one hospital region, northeastern Kentucky, had more than 80 percent of their intensive-care beds occupied, and all but one of those was above 90%. Northern Kentucky remained at 100%. Northeastern Kentucky had the lowest ICU usage, 53%, and the highest percentage of ICU patients with Covid-19, 26.5%.

The pandemic's death toll in Kentucky rose to 11,091, as the state reported 64 more Covid-19 deaths, the sixth highest daily total of the pandemic, which is approaching the end of its 21st month.