Kentucky avoids big post-holiday bump in COVID-19 cases. Where should you wear a mask?

Kentucky was largely spared from a significant, post-holiday surge in COVID-19 cases this month, according to Gov. Andy Beshear.

“We have not seen the substantial increases in hospitalization or cases that we saw after the holidays last year,” Beshear said during his weekly press conference Thursday. “We’re kind of bumping up and down a little bit (from) month to month, but nothing like we previously lived through.”

As if in answer to state residents looking to rediscover the outdoors, several Kentucky attractions have rolled back some restrictions.

Still, the governor urged residents to take reasonable precautions to protect themselves from COVID-19, which remains a threat.

“We still encourage everyone (to) make wise decisions,” Beshear said. “If you have underlying health conditions, think about that mask in big public spaces.”

Beshear also reiterated only about 12% of Kentuckians eligible for the bivalent COVID-19 booster have actually received it.

To find a COVID-19 vaccine or booster near you, visits vaccines.gov.

Test positive for COVID or flu? Here’s expert advice on finding antivirals in Lexington

What’s the current state of the coronavirus in Kentucky?

Kentucky added 2,597 cases over the course of the last reporting week, running Jan. 19 to 26. That’s a decline from the previous week’s total, which was 3,743 new cases.

Statewide, the positivity rate is 10.27%, according to state health officials. It’s worth noting this particular metric has become less reliable over time because it does not include all test results.

New deaths between Jan. 19 to 26 total 45. The state has lost a total of 17,838 lives to COVID-19 since the pandemic began, according to the latest data from the Kentucky Department for Public Health.

As for the community levels of COVID-19 – a metric the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention uses to account for weekly averages of new infections, hospital admissions and bed capacity – Kentucky now has just five counties at high. That’s less than half of the 11 counties that saw high levels the previous week.

At high this week are Bell, Harlan, Letcher, Pike and Wolfe counties.

A total of 49 counties have medium community levels of COVID-19, while the remaining 66 counties have low levels.

Fayette County is once again experiencing a medium community level of COVID-19, according to CDC data.

The nation’s leading public health agency recommends people in counties at high levels wear masks indoors when in public, and if they’re vulnerable for severe COVID-19, consider limiting public activities where they could be exposed.

As KY tourist attractions return to normal visitation, few COVID-19 precautions remain

Do you have a question about the coronavirus in Kentucky for our service journalism team? We’d like to hear from you. Fill out our Know Your Kentucky form or email ask@herald-leader.com.