Omicron Spike Waning Locally

(Lancaster, KY - February 10, 2022) — Locally, the recent spike due to the omicron variant of the coronavirus may be on a rapid downslope. The spike had propelled Garrard County into the highest rates of COVID cases since the beginning of the pandemic. However, after a decrease last week, numbers have fallen sharply when compared to rates from the previous week’s totals. 

The incident rate for Garrard decreased to 101.1 cases per 100,000 residents as of Tuesday evening. At this same time last week the incidence rate stood at 207.8 cases per 100,000 residents. The rate as of Tuesday kept Garrard County in the ‘red’ section of the state’s incidence rate map, along with 118 of Kentucky’s 119 other counties. 

All of the six counties bordering Garrard were also relegated to the ‘red’ portion of the state’s incidence rate map. 

Red zone counties are those with 25 or more average daily cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 residents. 

Boyle County had a rate of 87.4 cases per 100,000 this Tuesday (Down from 233.8 last week). Lincoln County reported 117.0 cases per 100,000 residents (Down from 105.9 last week). 

Rockcastle County reported 234.5 cases per 100,000 residents (Down from 205.4 last week). Jessamine County had a rate of 100.3 cases per 100,000 residents (Down from 203.5 last week).   

Mercer County reported a rate of 134.8 cases per 100,000 residents (Down from 313.9 last week). Madison County reported a rate of 148.7 cases per 100,000 residents (Down from 214.0 last week).

Kentucky’s incidence rate for the entire state also increased over the past week, standing at 97.3 cases per 100,000 residents on Tuesday afternoon; that is down from 178.26 at this same time last week.

The 7-Day incidence is calculated by taking the total number of unique cases in each county over the past 7 days, divided by 7 to get a daily average, divided by the U.S. census bureau county population, and multiplied by 100,000 to get the incidence per 100,000 people.

Garrard County’s total number of cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic stood at 4,450 cases as of Monday afternoon; with 141 new cases reported between Wednesday, February 2 and Tuesday, February 8, 2022.

There was one newly reported death due to COVID within Garrard County in the past week. The total number of deaths in the county attributed to the virus stands at 65.

About 9,226 Garrard Countians have now received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to numbers released by the state. That works out to be about 52.22 percent of the county population that has now received the vaccine.

About 63 percent of Garrard Countians above the age of 18 (8,600 people) have received the vaccine and about 82.6 percent of Garrard Countians above the age of 65 (2,678 people) have been vaccinated.

Currently about 2,863,321 Kentuckians have received at least the first dose of one of the three available vaccines. That works out to be a little more than 64 percent of Kentuckians. Only 23 percent of Kentuckians have received a booster shot.

For detailed information on COVID-19 vaccinations and more, visit kycovid19.ky.gov.