Whitley and Bell County both report new COVID-19 related deaths

Both Whitley and Bell County have reported additional deaths over the last three days.

The Whitley County Health Department announced 45 additional COVID–19 cases on Monday, bringing the county’s total to 1,622.

Over the weekend the health department reported 37 new cases Saturday and 10 new cases Sunday.

There are currently 299 active cases, of which eight are hospitalized.

The Whitley County Health Department reported an additional death Monday bringing the total to 19 deaths.

With the new cases, Whitley County’s COVID–19 incidence rate stands at 112.3.

The Whitley County Health Department posted a public Notice on its Facebook page stating, “Those who visited Bryant and Son True Value Hardware aka WD Bryant’s at 372 S 5th St. in Williamsburg, Kentucky, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 1 through Friday, Dec. 4, may have been exposed to COVID-19.  This notice only applies to customers of the upper lumber shed at the Williamsburg location.”

The Laurel County Health Department announced 39 additional cases of COVID–19 on Monday, bringing the county’s total to 2,807.

Over the weekend the health department reported 30 new cases Saturday and 21 new cases Sunday.

There are currently 1,223 active cases, of which 32 are hospitalized.

With the new cases, Laurel County COVID–19 incidence rate stands at 68.1.

The Knox County Kentucky Health Department announced 34 additional cases of COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the county’s total to 1,392.

Eight of the new cases involved children, officials stated.

There are currently 152 active cases in Knox County.

With the additional cases, Knox County’s COVID–19 incidence rate stands at 61.5.

The Bell County Health Department announced 23 additional COVID–19 cases, bringing the county’s total to 1,417.

Over the weekend the health department reported 17 new cases Saturday and 21 new cases Sunday.

One additional death was reported Saturday bringing the total to 27.

There are currently 260 active cases, of which 13 are hospitalized.

With the additional cases, Bell County’s COVID–19 incidence rate stands at 65.9.

Statewide

Gov. Andy Beshear announced 1,972 additional COVID–19 cases in Kentucky on Monday, bringing the state’s total to 202,592.

Beshear reported 10 additional deaths, bringing the death toll to 2,082.

Beshear said 1,700 Kentuckians are currently hospitalized, of which 410 are in intensive care.

As of Monday, 114 of Kentucky’s 120 counties have a COVID–19 incidence rate greater than 25, which places them in the red zone.

Crittenden, Breckinridge, Green, Cumberland, Nicholas and Menifee counties are orange zones.

Marion County has the highest incidence rate at 168.3.

Gov. Beshear said during his press conference that despite there being more deaths and cases reported last week than ever before, the rate of growth has declined. The positivity rate for last week was 9.75 percent.

“We have got to slow down the train before we stop it and turn it around,” said Beshear.

Gov. Beshear said Kentucky could receive as many as five shipments of Coronavirus vaccines pending the Food and Drug Administration emergency use authorization of the vaccines. Three of the shipments are expected to be the Pfizer vaccine and the other two shipments are expected to be the Moderna vaccine. More than 100,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine is expected between the two shipments. The vaccines are expected to be distributed between long term care facilities and frontline healthcare workers first.