Laurel, Knox and Bell counties report double-digit increases in new COVID-19 cases Friday

Laurel, Knox and Bell counties all reported double-digit increases Friday in the number of new COVID-19 cases.

The Laurel County Health Department reported 32 new COVID-19 cases Friday, 41 new cases Thursday, 43 new cases Wednesday, 49 new cases Tuesday, 28 new cases Monday, 20 new cases Sunday, and 22 new cases Saturday.

Friday’s new cases include: a 22-year-old male, a 25-year-old male, a 31-year-old male, a 77-year-old male, a 29-year-old male, a nine-year-old male, a 22-year-old female, a 36-year-old male, a 43-year-old male, a 63-year-old male, a 63-year-old female, a 67-year-old female, a 77-year-old female, a 36-year-old female, a seven-year-old male, a 76-year-old female, a 61-year-old female, a 50-year-old female, a 61-year-old male, a 48-year-old male, a 76-year-old male, a 44-year-old female, a 42-year-old female, a 12-year-old male, a 19-year-old female, a 52-year-old male, a 53-year-old male, a 36-year-old female, a 19-year-old female, a 52-year-old female, a 25-year-old female, and a 52-year-old female.

The Laurel County Health Department has reported a total of 2,205 COVID-19 cases, including: 1,353 recovered cases, and 828 active cases, of which 19 are currently hospitalized. A total of eight of the active cases occurred within congregate settings.

Laurel County has reported 11 confirmed COVID-19-related deaths with the most recent confirmed COVID-19 death being reported on Nov. 13.

Out of the 2,205 Laurel County cases, 249 patients were under the age of 18, 455 patients were ages 18-30, 350 patients were ages 31-40, 328 patients were ages 41-50, 323 patients were ages 51-60, 258 patients were ages 61-70, 169 patients were ages 71-80, and 73 patients were over age 80.

A total of 27,279 COVID-19 tests had been performed in Laurel County as of Nov. 16.

Laurel County’s COVID–19 incidence rate is 56.6, 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 24 new COVID-19 cases Friday, including three cases involving children, 15 new cases Thursday, 17 new cases Wednesday, 19 new cases Tuesday, and 19 new cases Monday.

One of Friday’s cases came from a congregated setting.

Knox County has had a total of 1,137 COVID-19 cases, including 141 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 44.5 placing it in the red category.

Bell County

The Bell County Health Department reported 13 new individual cases Friday, 26 new cases Thursday, 11 new cases Wednesday, 17 new cases Tuesday, 18 new cases Monday, two new cases Sunday, and two new cases Saturday.

Bell County has had a total of 1,141 COVID-19 cases with four people currently hospitalized, who range in age from 59-78.

Bell County currently has 115 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 52.7 placing it in the red category.

Whitley County

The Whitley County Health Department reported nine new COVID-19 cases Friday, 19 new cases Thursday, 22 new cases Wednesday, 17 new cases Tuesday, 23 new cases Monday, six new cases Sunday, and two new cases Saturday.

Whitley County has had a total of 1,203 COVID-19 cases.

Whitley County has 173 active cases, including six people who are hospitalized, and 1,015 cases have been released from isolation.

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

Out of the 1,203 Whitley County cases, 111 patients were under the age of 18, 112 patients were ages 18-20, 213 patients were ages 21-30, 151 patients were ages 31-40, 164 patients were ages 41-50, 151 patients were ages 51-60, 118 patients were ages 61-70, 99 patients were age 71-80, and 84 patients were over age 80.

Whitley County’s COVID–19 current case incidence rate is 48.5, which places it in the red category.

McCreary County

The Lake Cumberland District Health Department has reported a total of 398 COVID-19 cases in McCreary County as of Friday, Nov. 20.

Currently, there are 55 active McCreary County cases. One case is hospitalized and the remainder are in self-isolation. A total of 342 McCreary County cases are classified as not contagious, and there has been one McCreary County COVID-19 fatality.

McCreary County’s COVID–19 incidence rate Friday is 21.6 placing it in the orange category.

Statewide cases

On Friday, Gov. Andy Beshear reported the state’s highest ever number of new daily COVID-19 cases at 3,825, and 20 new COVID-19 deaths.

“This is exponential growth. It is shattering records over and over until we stop it. That’s why we are taking action – we have to,” said Beshear. “We’ve got more than 10,000 students quarantined right now just based on the last two weeks alone. We’ve got to do so much better.”

“That’s why starting at 5 p.m. today, we’ve got new restrictions in place to help us slow down this speeding train and prevent avoidable death. Remember, your decisions are going to be what determines how many people live or die. Do your part.”

Statewide there have been 152,206 positive cases of the COVID-19 virus in Kentucky, and 1,762 total deaths from the virus. A total of 2,551,187 coronavirus tests have been performed in Kentucky, and at least 25,728 people have reported that they have recovered, according to the latest information on the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s official COVID-19 website.