Entering the summer months in Kentucky has not meant a break from COVID-19 activity. The most recent statewide map regarding coronavirus transmission shows seven counties with the highest designation of a red color. Pike County is one of those seeing an increase. Tammy Riley is director of the Pike County Health Department.
“What happened locally is we did have an outbreak in a skilled nursing facility. So, that likely bumped our numbers enough that moved us from yellow to orange or red,” said Riley.
Riley said the eastern Kentucky county is not seeing a heavy burden on the health care system. She noted there were nine hospitalizations Monday with one Pike County resident. Riley added during the previous peak of COVID, the two area hospitals were seeing over a hundred patients at a time.
Likewise, there were just over a hundred REPORTED new cases last week. That compares to close to 200 in one day during a previous peak period. Those numbers don’t reflect the positive tests not reported to county health officials.
Riley said an easing of mask use is likely a factor in higher cases.
“That’s highly likely. We’ve certainly as a society relaxed our behaviors. We’re not where we were a year, two years ago. That’s a good thing. Cause we do have treatment. We have our most powerful weapon which is COVID-19 vaccination and boosters,” said Riley.
In Richmond, Baptist Health officials report two COVID patients today with the high being five in the last two weeks. At the University of Kentucky Hospital, coronavirus hospitalizations went from 28 the end of May to 48 Tuesday. But the ICU numbers dropped from nine on May 23rd to six on June seventh. And the Fayette County Health Department is reporting a seven-day average case count of 136 per day for the end of May to a rolling average of 183 in the most recent report.
