Laurel County Health Department reports 12th confirmed COVID-19 fatality Wednesday

The Laurel County Health Department reported its 12^th confirmed COVID-19 fatality Wednesday.

“Our condolences go out to the family of the 84-year-old male,” Laurel County Health Department officials wrote in a release Wednesday.

The Laurel County Health Department reported 45 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, 32 new cases Tuesday, 29 new cases Monday, 30 new cases Sunday, 31 new cases Saturday, 32 new cases Friday, and 41 new cases Thursday.

Wednesday’s new cases include: an 18-year-old male, a 50-year-old male, a 15-year-old female, a 50-year-old female, a 21-year-old male, a 44-year-old male, a 44-year-old female, a 20-year-old female, a 31-year-old female, a 37-year-old male, a 52-year-old male, a 25-year-old male, a 50-year-old male, a 56-year-old male, a 27-year-old male, a 29-year-old female, an 84-year-old male, a 50-year-old female, a 30-year-old female, a two-month-old male (hospitalized), a 39-year-old female, a 38-year-old male, a 46-year-old male, a 48-year-old male, a 51-year-old female, a 53-year-old male, a 67-year-old female, a 32-year-old male, a 66-year-old male, a 61-year-old female, a 59-year-old female, a 57-year-old male, a 78-year-old male, an 11-year-old female, a 62-year-old male, a 19-year-old female, a 15-year-old female, a 22-year-old female, a 61-year-old female, a 38-year-old male, a 17-year-old female, a 72-year-old female, a 51-year-old male, a 68-year-old male, and a 51-year-old male.

One of Wednesday’s cases came from a congregate setting.

The Laurel County Health Department has reported a total of 2,371 COVID-19 cases, including: 1,353 recovered cases, and 992 active cases, of which 23 are currently hospitalized. A total of eight of the active cases occurred within congregate settings.

Out of the 2,371 Laurel County cases, 264 patients were under the age of 18, 495 patients were ages 18-30, 374 patients were ages 31-40, 354 patients were ages 41-50, 350 patients were ages 51-60, 281 patients were ages 61-70, 178 patients were ages 71-80, and 75 patients were over age 80.

A total of 28,486 COVID-19 tests had been performed in Laurel County as of Nov. 24.

Laurel County’s COVID–19 incidence rate is 44.4, placing it in the red category.

A county with a COVID-19 rate over 25 cases per 100,000 people is considered critical, which is signified on the state map with the color red. A county with a rate between 10-25 cases per 100,000 people is considered accelerated and is shown as orange on the state map. A county with 1-10 cases per 100,000 people is considered to have community spread and is signified on the state map with the color yellow. A county with less than one case per 100,000 people is considered on track and is signified by the color green on the state map.

The incidence rate for each county may be found online at www.kycovid19.com.

Knox County

The Knox County Health Department reported 22 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, including four children, 23 new cases Tuesday, 37 new cases Monday, 24 new cases Friday, and 15 new cases Thursday.

Knox County has had a total of 1,219 COVID-19 cases, including 181 active cases.

Knox County has had a total of 15 COVID-19 deaths with the most recent death occurring on Oct. 26.

Knox County’s COVID–19 current incidence rate is 49.5 placing it in the red category.

Whitley County

The Whitley County Health Department reported 16 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, 21 new cases Tuesday, 17 new cases Monday, 11 new cases Sunday, six new cases Saturday, nine new cases Friday, and 19 new cases Thursday.

Whitley County has had a total of 1,274 COVID-19 cases.

Whitley County has 167 active cases, including seven people who are hospitalized, and 1,092 cases have been released from isolation.

The Whitley County Health Department reported its 15^th COVID-19 fatality on Nov. 12.

Out of the 1,274 Whitley County cases, 118 patients were under the age of 18, 114 patients were ages 18-20, 226 patients were ages 21-30, 161 patients were ages 31-40, 178 patients were ages 41-50, 166 patients were ages 51-60, 122 patients were ages 61-70, 102 patients were age 71-80, and 87 patients were over age 80.

Whitley County’s COVID–19 current case incidence rate is 58.7, which places it in the red category.

Bell County

The Bell County Health Department reported 11 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, 11 new cases Tuesday, 20 new cases Monday, 11 new cases Sunday, six new cases Saturday, 13 new cases Friday, and 26 new cases Thursday.

Bell County has had a total of 1,200 COVID-19 cases with nine people currently hospitalized, who range in age from 59-78.

Bell County currently has 140 active individual cases, and eight active cases from the Bell County Forestry Camp, including seven inmates and one staff member.

The Bell County has reported 24 COVID-19 fatalities with the most recent death occurring on Nov. 18. All deaths have ranged in age from 62-97.

Bell County’s COVID–19 incidence rate is 44.5 placing it in the red category.

McCreary County

The Lake Cumberland District Health Department has reported a total of 462 COVID-19 cases in McCreary County as of Nov. 24.

Currently, there are 93 active McCreary County cases. Two cases are hospitalized and the remainder are in self-isolation. A total of 368 McCreary County cases are classified as not contagious, and there has been one McCreary County COVID-19 fatality.

(Editor’s Note: The Lake Cumberland District Health Department, which McCreary County is a part of, typically doesn’t post updates on its cases until early to late evening. This is why the previous day’s totals are posted in this story.)

McCreary County’s COVID–19 incidence rate Wednesday is 31.5 placing it in the red category.

Statewide cases

On Wednesday, Gov. Andy Beshear reported 3,408 new COVID-19 cases, and 26 new COVID-19 deaths.

“Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, and usually we get together with about 15 people,” said Beshear. “This year, we just can’t do that. I’m really disappointed, like all of us are, but protecting my parents, my kids, our neighbors and all of our health care workers has to come first. I’m grateful for all Kentuckians who are sacrificing this year to keep each other safe.”

Statewide there have been 166,139 positive cases of the COVID-19 virus in Kentucky, and 1,835 total deaths from the virus. A total of 2,682,493 coronavirus tests have been performed in Kentucky, and at least 27,349 people have reported that they have recovered, according to the latest information on the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s official COVID-19 website.

(Editor’s note: Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, the News Journal will not post a COVID-19 update either Thursday or Friday. The next regular COVID-19 update will be Monday, Nov. 30.)