Boone County is now above the average daily COVID-19 case count to classify it as “red zone” if its average daily count should remain above 25 per 100,000 population when the state issues its new list Thursday.
Kenton and Campbell counties moved to “red zone” status officially last week and are still showing increasing numbers and daily averages.
Grant County, also part of the Northern Kentucky Independent Health District, is very close to the red zone number.
Governor Andy Beshear announced 1,032 newly confirmed coronavirus cases in Kentucky on Monday as the COVID surge continues across the state.
Kenton County reported 29 new cases while Boone County recorded 24. There were 15 reported in Campbell County and 3 in Grant County.
As of Monday, Kenton County’s average daily count per 100,000 people rose to 34.6 while Campbell’s increased to 33.4. Boone County entered red zone territory for the first time with an average of 25.6. Grant County is at 24.5, half a point shy of red zone classification.
Again, the official “red zone” status is determined on Thursdays.
“In America and in Kentucky, this is getting increasingly more and more dangerous. The newest numbers are absolutely staggering,” said Beshear. “We’re losing 1,200 Americans per day and we have some individuals who say, ‘Oh, it’s not real.’ Think about the amount of grief that is crying out every day in this country and this commonwealth based on those who we have lost.”
Red zone status comes with nine recommendations:
- Employers allow employees to work from home when possible
- Non-critical Government offices to operate virtually
- Reduce in-person shopping; order online or curbside pickup
- Order take-out; avoid dining in restaurants or bars
- Prioritize businesses that follow and enforce mask mandate and other guidelines
- Reschedule, postpone or cancel public and private events
- Do not host or attend gatherings of any size
- Avoid non-essential activities outside of your home
- Reduce overall activity and contacts, and follow existing guidance, including 10 steps to defeat COVID-19
Beshear said that the state’s positivity rate remains above 6%, at 6.25%. Three additional deaths were reported bringing the statewide total to 1,492 since the pandemic began.
There are currently 988 people hospitalized with 270 in intensive care units, and 142 on ventilators.
The governor said that Kentucky’s mask mandate helped keep the state’s COVID-19 cases and deaths to less than half of what neighboring Tennessee experienced without one.
-Staff report