CDC says McCracken County has a high level of coronavirus and 33 other counties have medium levels

By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

McCracken County is red on the latest national Covid-19 risk map, indicating a high level of coronavirus transmission. Thirty-three counties, most of them in Western Kentucky, are yellow, indicating a medium level of transmission.

Yellow counties are: Hickman, Carlisle, Ballard, Graves, Marshall, Trigg, Lyon, Livingston, Christian, Caldwell, Crittenden, Todd, Muhlenberg, Hopkins, Webster, Union, Henderson, Simpson, Clinton, Cumberland, Hardin, Jefferson, Oldham, Henry, Shelby, Woodford, Fayette, Menifee, Martin, Lawrence, Boyd, Carter, and Greenup. 

This is the first time since the April 1 weekly report that Kentucky has had a red county on the map and the yellow counties more than doubled in this week's report; last week Kentucky had 12 yellow counties. 

Because of the high level of virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people in McCracken County should wear masks in indoor public spaces. The state guidelines also recommends limiting indoor in-person gatherings, limiting the size of gatherings and to encourage social distancing. 

The CDC says people in yellow counties who are immunocompromised, or at high risk for severe illness from the virus, should talk to a health-care provider about whether they need to wear a mask or take other precautions. 

Health Commissioner Steven Stack encouraged Kentuckians to use the CDC risk map to determine the level of Covid-19 precautions that are needed in their community, instead of the state's daily seven-day infection rate map. Kycovid.ky.gov post the CDC's color-coded map on Friday mornings, along with community level guidance for each color.

Stack said that's because the CDC's weekly ratings are based on new virus cases, Covid-19 hospitalizations and the percentage of staffed inpatient beds occupied by Covid-19 patients, instead of just cases per 100,000 people.

"The composite map is the one that really shows you what your risk is, if you're likely to get exposed," he said. 

Nationwide, the CDC says 9.21% of counties and county equivalents have a high level of Covid-19, up from 4.25% last week; 14.98% have a medium level of the virus, up from 14.15% last week; and 75.81% have a low level of the virus, down from 81.6% last week.