Governor Andy Beshear said that the state is seeing a record number of pediatric positive cases and its highest-ever number of children admitted to the hospital, as Kentucky counted 3,276 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, including 203 in five Northern Kentucky counties.
Case counts and the state’s positivity rate continue to rise rapidly in Kentucky after record lows for both in June.
From August 9-15, 17,935 Kentuckians were diagnosed with COVID-19, up from 13,903 the week of Aug. 2-8, and up from 1,024 the week of June 21-27 (the week the state reported its lowest number of cases in more than a year).
During the week ending Aug. 15, the state’s average COVID-19 positivity rate was 12.19%, up from 10.57% the week ending Aug. 8, and up from 1.84% the week ending June 27.
The week ending June 27, the state reported its lowest positivity rate ever since adequate testing supplies have been available; the last comparable positivity rate, 2.01%, was reported the week ending May 17, 2020.
There are currently 1,528 people hospitalized due to COVID across the state, up from 1,139 on August 9.
There are 429 people in intensive care units on Tuesday, up from 331 on August 9.
There are 224 people on ventilators, up from 158 on August 9.
On Tuesday, there were 67 cases reported in Kenton County, 65 in Boone Co., 34 in Campbell Co., 19 in Grant Co., and 18 in Pendleton Co.
Kentucky Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack said that hospitals in Kentucky have begun canceling and postponing non-urgent surgeries and other procedures that would require admission to the hospital for overnight stays. He added that larger receiving hospitals in Kentucky are receiving calls from hospitals in Louisiana and Alabama seeking ICU beds to transfer patients to them; and reports from Oklahoma, Texas, Mississippi, Missouri and Louisiana saying there are no beds available in these states.
“Critical access hospitals in Kentucky are beginning to report difficulty getting their patients accepted at larger hospitals in Kentucky,” said Dr. Stack. “In one instance, a hospital called ten other hospitals and was unable to receive an accepting hospital to take their patient.”
Meanwhile, children are being impacted by the pandemic more than before. Kentucky’s pediatric COVID-19 positive cases are up by more than 400% in one month.
They increased from 133 July 16 to 548 Aug. 16.
In addition, as of Aug. 16, Kentucky had 17 pediatric admissions for COVID-19, the state’s highest ever total. The previous highest number was 12 admissions in December 2020.
The United States is reporting record COVID-19 hospitalizations in children. Alabama has reported it only has two ICU beds still available. Mississippi public health officials confirmed another child has died from COVID-19 complications, the state’s fifth pediatric death since March 2020.
“COVID-19 isn’t just hitting adults. With the delta variant, your kids are at a greater risk than they have been before,” said Beshear. “In a southern Indiana school district, 750 students are already in quarantine. Do the right thing: Get vaccinated, mask up in schools and in high-risk indoor settings. Protect our kids.”
Dr. Stack said Kentuckians with the following conditions should consider receiving a third dose:
- Active or recent treatment for cancer/malignancy;
- Solid-organ or hematopoietic stem cell transplants;
- Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome or Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome);
- Advanced or untreated HIV infection; and
- Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids, alkylating agents, antimetabolites, tumor-necrosis (TNF) blockers and other immunosuppressive medications.
“This is for individuals who may not have received adequate protection from their initial primary vaccine series. People with normal immune systems are not advised to receive an additional dose at this time,” said Stack. “Anyone with questions about their eligibility should talk with their health care provider.”
Individuals who have received a Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine are not recommended to receive an additional dose at this time. Third doses can be received by any COVID-19 vaccine provider that stocks the same mRNA vaccine that was used for an individual’s primary series (Pfizer or Moderna).
-Staff report
