LCDHD COVID-19 report for Monday, Oct. 26

Statewide Testing Positivity Rate: 5.84%.

Deaths: We are sad to report 1 new deaths today. We have experienced a total of 81 deaths resulting in a 1.97% mortality rate (about 1 in 51) among known cases. This compares with a 1.44% mortality rate at the state level, and a 2.6% morality rate at the national level. Our hearts and prayers go out to all the families and friends who have lost loved ones.

Hospitalizations: We presently have 29 cases in the hospital. This is 3 less than yesterday. The most hospitalizations we have had at any one time was 35 on 10/20/2020. We have had a total of 323 hospitalizations resulting in a 7.84% hospitalization rate (about 1 in 13) among known cases. The state hospitalization rate is 7.05%. The latest state data shows that 70.05% of ICU beds and 27.73% of ventilator capacity are being utilized.

Total (Cumulative) Cases: The Lake Cumberland District has experienced a total of 4,122 cases since the onset of the outbreak. This means that 1.97% of our total population have been a confirmed case. However, we do not know how many additional people may have had COVID-19 and were either asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic and never tested.

Released (Not contagious) Cases: We released 58 cases today from isolation. Released cases include: Adair: 11; Casey: 3; Clinton: 10; Cumberland: 5; Green: 3; McCreary: 3; Russell: 7; Taylor: 10; and, Wayne: 6. In all, we have released 85.9% of our total cases.

Active (Current) Cases: We released 4 more cases today than we added new cases. Taking all things into account, this leaves us with 500 active cases in our district across all 10 of our district’s 10 counties. On 10/24/2020 we were at our peak number of active cases, 505.

Where are Cases Tied to: The most common areas to where we are seeing cases tied are (in descending order): Businesses, Schools, Places of Worship, and Family.

New Cases: We report that our total case count has increased by 55 today: Adair: 13; Casey: 3; Clinton: 6; Cumberland: 6; Green: 3; McCreary: 3; Pulaski: 7; Russell: 2; Taylor: 5; and, Wayne: 7. Our current new case growth rate is: 1.016. This means our total case count is projected to double every 44.67 days. The most new cases we ever added in a single day was on 10/22/2020 when we added 80 cases. Today’s new cases include:

Adair: A 62-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Adair: A 77-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Adair: A 63-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Adair: A 71-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Adair: A 46-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Adair: A 22-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Adair: A 70-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Adair: A 48-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Adair: A 60-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Adair: A 42-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Adair: A 62-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Adair: A 52-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Adair: A 59-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Casey: A 9-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Casey: A 74-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Casey: A 71-year-old male who is hospitalized, still symptomatic
Clinton: A 55-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Clinton: A 52-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Clinton: A 21-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Clinton: A 51-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Clinton: A 33-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Clinton: A 83-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Cumberland: A 24-year-old male who is self-isolated, asymptomatic
Cumberland: A 44-year-old female who is self-isolated, asymptomatic
Cumberland: A 47-year-old male who is released, unknown
Cumberland: A 18-year-old male who is released, asymptomatic
Cumberland: A 49-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Cumberland: A 28-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Green: A 25-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Green: A 15-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Green: A 15-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
McCreary: A 32-year-old male who is self-isolated, asymptomatic
McCreary: A 40-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
McCreary: A 59-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Pulaski: A 31-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Pulaski: A 49-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Pulaski: A 39-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Pulaski: A 63-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Pulaski: A 50-year-old female who is self-isolated, asymptomatic
Pulaski: A 21-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Pulaski: A 48-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Russell: A 84-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Russell: A 48-year-old male who is self-isolated, asymptomatic
Taylor: A 43-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Taylor: A 50-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Taylor: A 47-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Taylor: A 35-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Taylor: A 18-year-old male who is self-isolated, asymptomatic
Wayne: A 35-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Wayne: A 36-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Wayne: A 32-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Wayne: A 51-year-old male who is self-isolated, asymptomatic
Wayne: A 74-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Wayne: A 7-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
Wayne: A 19-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic

The death we report today is a 72-year-old female from Wayne who had been hospitalized. Our local mortality rate remains high compared to the statewide mortality rate.

Today some new recommendations came out from the Governor’s Office for counties in the “red-critical” range of community-spread. These include:

• 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 your home
• Reduce overall activity and contracts, and follow existing guidance, including 10 steps to defeat COVID-19.
Seven of our counties are in the “red-critical” range: Adair, Clinton, Cumberland, Green, Russell, Taylor, and Wayne. The other 3 are in the “orange-accelerated” range of community-spread, Casey, McCreary, and Pulaski.

We are happy we released 4 more cases today than we added new one. We are also pleased our hospitalizations dropped by 3.

Please, let’s all continue to do our part in slowing the spread of COVID-19 by wearing our face coverings, avoiding crowds (especially in confined spaces), social distancing when around others, increasing our hand hygiene, increasing our general sanitation, and by avoiding the touching of our faces.

The Lake Cumberland area has experienced 4,122 cumulative confirmed cases and there have been 98,079 confirmed COVID-19 cases across all 120 Kentucky Counties as of today (this includes 97,866 statewide plus 213 recently reported cases in Lake Cumberland not in the Governor’s/Department for Public Health’s daily report). Regardless of the confirmed case count for any Lake Cumberland County, we believe COVID-19 to be widespread. The LCDHD is working tirelessly, including nights and weekends, to identify and contact all those with whom any positive case may have come into close contact, and to follow-up daily with positive cases. Additionally, we are striving diligently to follow-up on business-related complaints regarding noncompliance with the Governor’s Executive Orders. We are also working with any community partner that requests assistance for prevention or post-exposure planning/response.

About Zac Oakes 5406 Articles
Zac Oakes is the News and Sports Director for LakerCountry.com and Laker Country WJRS 104.9 FM.