Seven-day average of new coronavirus cases jumps 15.3% in one day; positive-test rate is above 3% for first time in nearly 3 months-HEALTHYLIVE

Ky. Health News graph from initial, unadjusted daily reports by state Dept. for Public Health

By Al Cross

Kentucky Health News

Kentucky firmly joined the ranks of states with rising number of coronavirus cases Friday, as the seven-day average of daily new cases jumped more than 15 percent.

Also, the share of Kentuckians testing positive for the virus exceeded 3 percent for the first time in almost three months, suggesting that state officials are right when they say the much more contagious Delta variant of the virus is becoming predominant in the state, just as it is in the nation as a whole.

The state reported 379 new cases of the virus Friday, raising the seven-day rolling average to 226 per day. That is 15.3% higher than the previous day's average, 196, and the highest average since June 15.

Ky. Health News graph from state data; click it to enlarge

Another way of measuring new cases, the infection rate, also rose to the highest since June 15. Over the last seven days, the state has reported 4.75 cases per 100,000 residents.

Counties with rates at least double the statewide rate on Friday were Livingston, 26.4; Martin, 16.6; Muhlenberg, 15.9; Woodford, 15.5; Carter, 14.9; Hopkins, 14.4; Robertson, 13.6; Grayson, 11.9; Larue, 10.9; Grant, 10.3; Henderson, 9.8; Hickman, 9.8; Marshall, 9.6; Laurel, 9.6; Graves, 9.6; Hardin, 9.5; and Boyd, 9.5.

Ky. Health News graph from state data; click to enlarge

The positive-test rate, also calculated over the last seven days, was 3.1%. It has increased for the last two weeks, from a low of 1.79% on June 25.

Hospitalizations for the Covid-19 disease have also increased. Kentucky hospitals reported 228 Covid-19 patients Friday, 68 of them in intensive care and 36 of those on mechanical ventilation. In the last seven days, hospitalizations have averaged 206 per day; in the previous seven days, it was 186. Four weeks ago, it was 235.

Deaths, the lagging indicator of the pandemic, remain low. The state reported two more Covid-19 deaths Friday, raising Kentucky's toll to 7,255. Deaths are averaging around four per day over the last one or two weeks.

from KENTUCKY HEALTH NEWS https://ift.tt/3xqTlU5

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