New Covid-19 cases in Ky. fell by almost half last week, but over half of them were in youth and state's rate is tops among the states

New York Times map, adapted by Ky. Health News; for the interactive version, with data, click here.

By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

New coronavirus cases plummeted in Kentucky last week, but for the first time, cases in people 18 and younger were more than half of a week's total. And Kentucky's new-case rate remains first among the states.

The state's report for the Monday-to-Sunday reporting period said there were 3,979 new coronavirus cases, or 568 per day. That's 46% less than the 1,057 daily average and total of the week before. 

However, 2,168 of those new cases were among Kentuckians 18 and younger, making up 54% of the total and marking the first time this age group has represented the majority of new cases in the state.

Kentuckians in that age group are back to school, and vaccination rates in school-aged youth are among the state's lowest. State data shows these rates of full vaccination: 47% of those 16 and 17; 43% of those 12 to 15; 20% of those 5 to 11; and 2% of those 6 months to 4 years old.

The share of Kentuckians testing positive for the coronavirus in the last seven days was 7.7%, the lowest rate reported since the end of May. The figure does not include at-home tests. 

Hospital numbers also dropped again in this week's report. Kentucky hospitals reported 327 patients with Covid-19, down 71 from the week before; 39 Covid-19 patients in intensive care, down 23; and 20 of them on mechanical ventilation, down four. 

The statewide rate of new cases was 11.85 cases per 100,000 residents, down from 14.4 a week earlier. The top 10 counties on the state report were Letcher, 61.6 per 100,000; Knott, 49.2; Leslie, 49.2; Perry, 39.4; Owsley, 32.4; Green, 22.2; Marion, 21.5; Floyd, 20.5; Livingston, 20.2; and Washington, 20.1.

The New York Times ranks Kentucky's infection rate first among the states, showing a 5% increase in cases in the last 14 days. (Puerto Rico's rate is just slightly higher.) The Times says Wayne, Perry and Powell counties had the highest case rates in the nation in the last seven days. (The Times's figures differ from state figures because of differences in data gathering and processing.) 

The state attributed 61 more deaths to Covid-19 last week, pushing the the state's death toll above 17,000. The new total is 17,030.