KENTUCKY TODAY

The new COVID-19 Community Levels map released by the Kentucky Department for Public Health on Friday shows a decrease in counties with a high community level, and a rise in those having a low level.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention breaks the state down by county based on whether they have a high, medium or low level of COVID, which are shown on their maps as either red, yellow, or green, respectively.

Kentucky currently has 5 red counties, down from 11 in the previous report; 49 are yellow, up from 44; and the other 66, more than half of the counties are green, which is one more than last week. If you go back two weeks to the January 13 report, by comparison, there were 16 red counties, 49 were yellow and 55 green.

Gov. Andy Beshear says more good news is the most recent COVID-19 data shows there have not been substantial increases in cases or hospitalizations in Kentucky, but implores people to get the new booster.

“I believe it is safe and effective,” he said. “I have had it, Britainy has had it.  We would have never done that if we didn’t both truly believe that it was safe and effective. But only about 12% of Kentuckians who qualify have gotten it. We believe that again, it is really important to continue to get back to our daily lives, that as many of us as possible get that updated vaccine or that booster.”

For more details on Kentucky’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, community levels based on CDC determinations and more, go to the state’s website, http://kycovid19.ky.gov/.