BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — The CDC’s coronavirus map shows a higher level of virus transmission and an increased risk of the COVID-19 disease in Martin County.
Martin County and 18 other Kentucky counties are red on the latest national COVID-19 risk map, indicating a high level of coronavirus transmission.
Twenty-eight Kentucky counties are yellow, indicating a medium level of transmission.
The rankings are based on new virus cases, hospital admissions and hospital capacity.
Red counties are Martin, Ballard, Boyd, Breathitt, Carter, Clark, Crittenden, Fayette, Greenup, Knott, Lawrence, Leslie, Livingston, Lyon, McCracken, Perry, Pike, Wolfe and Woodford.
State guidelines call for wearing masks in indoor public spaces, limiting in-person gatherings, size of gatherings, and social distancing.
“When your county is red, you need to really think about stepping up the things you do to keep yourself from getting COVID,” Gov. Andy Beshear said at his weekly news conference Thursday, a few hours before the release of the new map. His warning was mild but still contrasted with what he said at last week’s news conference: “This is the safest we have been in this pandemic.”
The 28 yellow counties are Bell, Bourbon, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Elliott, Franklin, Grant, Graves, Hardin, Harlan, Hickman, Jefferson, Jessamine, Lee, Letcher, Lewis, Madison, Magoffin, Marshall, Monroe, Montgomery, Nelson, Owsley, Powell, Rowan, Scott and Taylor.
According to the CDC, people in yellow counties who are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe illness from the virus should talk to a health-care provider about whether they need to wear a mask or take other precautions.
The CDC says people in yellow counties who are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe illness should talk to a health-care provider about whether they need to wear a mask or take other precautions.
As of Monday, Martin County’s COVID-19 case count was 3,716, and the death toll was 50.
There have been 1,264 new COVID cases and nine related deaths in Martin County in 2022, with 605 cases and three deaths in January; 489 cases and two deaths in February; 95 cases and four deaths in March; 19 cases and zero deaths in April; 33 cases and zero deaths in May; and 56 cases and zero deaths the first two weeks of June.