Washington, Greene move into high risk for spreading COVID-19
Washington and Greene counties moved into the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s high transmission category as coronavirus cases continue to rise across the state and the region.
New coronavirus cases leaped in the counties in the week ending Aug. 14, according to the CDC and Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center.
Washington County reported 246 new cases, an increase of 61.84%, with no deaths as of Monday.
In Greene County, cases increased 100% with 52 new cases reported and zero deaths, according to the CDC COVID-19 tracker.
Fayette County, which remains in the substantial community spread category on the CDC’s data tracker, saw a 91% increase in cases, with 128 reported and no deaths.
On Monday, 27 new cases were reported in Washington County, and 9 new cases were reported in Fayette County, according to a COVID case tracker.
The CDC is recommending everyone, vaccinated or not, to wear masks when indoors in public spaces.
The CDC defines a high risk level as either 10% or more of tests positive during the past seven days or 100 cases per 100,000 persons in the past seven days.
Currently, Washington County has had 5.86% of tests positive during the past seven days and 118.92 cases per 100,000 persons in the past seven days.
In Greene County, the positivity rate is 9.01%, with 143.52 cases per 100,000 people, and in Fayette County, the positivity rate is 5.08% and 99.01 cases per 100,000 people were reported, placing it on the cusp of high risk for transmitting COVID-19.
Health officials said the spread of the delta variant is most likely fueling the increase of positive cases in the county.
The virus is infecting mostly unvaccinated people, though breakthrough cases in vaccinated people are emerging.