Covid-19 risk remains low in most counties; only four estimated to have high risk; Kentucky's 7-day infection rate is 16th in the nation

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maps

By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

Most of Kentucky's 120 counties continue to have a low risk of coronavirus transmission and only four of them are at high risk, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's weekly risk map. 

The CDC's map is based on the number of new coronavirus cases and Covid-19 patients in Kentucky hospitals. It shows 82 Kentucky counties are at low risk, shown in green, and 34 at medium risk, shown in yellow. The four high-risk counties, shown in orange, are Morgan, Elliott, Rowan and Menifee. Elliott County was also at high risk last week, along with Greenup County.

Even as the risk of coronavirus transmission decreases, the CDC continues to offer the same recommendations for medium and high-risk counties.

In high-risk counties, the CDC recommends that you wear a well-fitting, high-quality mask in public indoor spaces, and if you are at high risk of getting very sick, consider avoiding non-essential indoor activities in public where you could be exposed.

If you live in a medium or high-risk county, the CDC advises those who are at high risk of getting very sick to wear a well-fitting mask when indoors and in public and to consider getting tested before having social contact with someone at high risk for getting very sick and consider wearing a mask when indoors when you are with them.

The CDC also provides a community transmission level map, largely used by researchers and health-care facilities, that shows the level of virus in each county, at one of four levels. The map shows 26 counties with moderate levels of transmission and the rest with either substantial or high levels, showing that the virus continues to be widespread in those counties. 

As of  Feb. 24, Kentucky's infection rate for the previous seven days ranked 16th in the nation, with a 33% drop in cases in the last two weeks, according to The New York Times.