Bell County reports third COVID-19 fatality in six days

The Bell County Health Department reported its third COVID-19 fatality in six days Monday.

Monday’s victim was an 85-year-old female. Friday’s victim was a 68-year-old male, and last Wednesday’s victim was an 81-year-old male.

The Bell County Health Department reported three new cases Saturday, no cases Sunday, and four new cases Monday raising the total number of COVID-19 cases in Bell County to 311.

Bell County now has 77 active cases, including 10 who are hospitalized: a 66-year-old male, a 74-year-old male, a 70-year-old male, an 83-year-old male, a 79-year-old female, a 72-year-old male, a 73-year-old female, a 75-year-old male, another 75-year-old male and a 69-year-old female.

The Bell County Health Department reported seven new cases Thursday, 11 new cases Wednesday, and two new cases Tuesday.

A total of 234 people have recovered from COVID-19 in Bell County.

Bell County was one of the last counties in the state to report a positive COVID-19 case with its first positive case reported on May 16. Prior to June 29, Bell County had only reported eight positive COVID-19 cases, and since that time a total of 303 additional cases have been reported.

Laurel County

The Laurel County Health Department has reported that 22 new COVID-19 cases were diagnosed in Laurel County between Saturday and Monday, which ranged in age from a 15-year-old to a 65-year-old. All 22 cases are recovering at home.

In addition, the Laurel County Health Department also reported Monday that one previously reported case has been hospitalized, and that there are 19 newly recovered cases.

On Saturday, there were eight new cases reported, including: an 18-year-old male, a 53-year-old male, a 65-year-old male, a 56-year-old male, a 45-year-old male, a 34-year-old male, a 59-year-old female, and a 40-year-old male.

On Sunday, three new cases were reported, including: a 50-year-old female, a 41-year-old female and a 30-year-old male.

On Monday, 11 new cases were reported, including: a 52-year-old female, a 15-year-old female, a 60-year-old male, a 49-year-old female, an 18-year-old male, a 30-year-old female, a 40-year-old female, a 38-year-old male, a 45-year-old female, an 18-year-old female, and a 53-year-old female.

The Laurel County Health Department reported five new cases Friday, 10 new cases Thursday, 10 new cases Wednesday, and six new cases Tuesday.

The Laurel County Health Department has a total of 439 overall cases, including: 217 recovered cases, and 217 active cases, of which nine are hospitalized, and 208 are isolating at home.

Between March 24 and June 4, there were 22 COVID-19 cases diagnosed in Laurel County. Since June 9, there have been an additional 417 cases reported there, according to the Laurel County Health Department.

Laurel County has had five COVID-19 fatalities with the most recent death happening on Aug. 6.

Out of the 439 Laurel County cases, 48 patients were under the age of 18, 110 patients were ages 18-30, 73 patients were ages 31-40, 59 patients were ages 41-50, 62 patients were ages 51-60, 58 patients were ages 61-70, 19 patients were ages 71-80 and 10 patients were over age 80.

A total of 10,104 COVID-19 tests have been performed in Laurel County as of Aug. 10.

Knox County

The Knox County Health Department reported 16 new COVID-19 cases Monday, including two positives that are children.

The Knox County Health Department reported five new cases Friday, nine new cases Thursday, four new cases Wednesday, and 12 new cases Tuesday.

Knox County has a total of 248 COVID-19 cases.

Between April 6 and May 30, Knox County reported 10 COVID-19 cases with all 10 patients having fully recovered by June 15. Since June 11, there have been 238 new COVID-19 cases diagnosed in Knox County.

Knox County reported its eighth COVID-19 fatality on July 23, which was the eighth patient to die from Christian Health Center in Corbin. The first five patients had pre-existing conditions. The status of the last three is unknown.

Out of the first 216 Knox County cases, 21 patients were under the age of 18, 45 patients were ages 18-30, 26 patients were ages 31-40, 26 patients were ages 41-50, 26 patients were ages 51-60, 13 patients were ages 61-70, 25 patients were ages 71-80, and 34 patients were over age 80.

As of Aug. 5, a total of 3,117 cases had been tested for COVID-19 in Knox County.

Whitley County

The Whitley County Health Department reported two new COVID-19 cases Monday, seven new cases Friday, eight new cases Thursday, four new cases Wednesday, and six new cases Tuesday.

Whitley County now has a total of 162 COVID-19 cases, including 81 active cases. Four Whitley County residents are isolating in the hospital, and 77 Whitley County residents are isolating at home.

A total of 80 Whitley County patients have been released from isolation.

Between April 6 and May 17, Whitley County had 11 COVID-19 cases diagnosed, all of whom have been released from isolation.

Since June 8, Whitley County has had 151 additional cases diagnosed.

On July 21, Whitley County reported its only COVID-19 death.

Out of the 162 Whitley County cases, 20 patients were under the age of 18, 10 patients were ages 18-20, 31 patients were ages 21-30, 35 patients were ages 31-40, 21 patients were ages 41-50, 15 patients were ages 51-60, 13 patients were ages 61-70, 14 patients were age 71-80, and three patients were over age 80.

McCreary County

The Lake Cumberland District Health Department reported one new COVID-19 case Saturday in McCreary County, involving a 27-year-old male, who is self-isolated but still symptomatic.

The Lake Cumberland District Health Department reported no new cases in McCreary County Sunday, and one new case in McCreary County Monday, which involves a 48-year-old male, who is self-isolating but still symptomatic. One McCreary County COVID-19 patient was also released from isolation Monday.

The Lake Cumberland District Health Department reported one new COVID-19 case Friday in McCreary County, which is a 16-year-old male, who is self-isolated but still symptomatic.

Two new COVID-19 cases were diagnosed Thursday in McCreary County, and three new cases Wednesday, according to the Lake Cumberland District Health Department.

McCreary County has had a total of 46 COVID-19 cases, including 13 active cases. A total of 12 of these McCreary County cases are self-isolated, one case is isolated in the hospital, and 33 McCreary County cases that have recovered.

So far, McCreary County has had no COVID-19 deaths.

Statewide cases

Gov. Andy Beshear reported 801 new COVID-19 cases Saturday, including 29 cases involving children ages five and under, and eight deaths. Beshear reported 425 new COVID-19 cases Sunday, including nine children ages five and under, and one new death.

Beshear reported over 275 COVID-19 cases Monday, including 13 cases involving children ages five and under, and two new deaths.

Beshear noted that a technical issue with the state’s data processor is causing a delay in some reporting, leading to lower numbers that will be updated later this week.

“Today’s number needs to have a giant asterisk on it, because we know that number is higher and will change,” Beshear said Monday.

Statewide there have been 35,254 total positive cases of the COVID-19 virus in Kentucky, and 775 total deaths from the virus. A total of more than 700,417 people in Kentucky have been tested for COVID-19, and at least 8,738 people have reported that they have recovered, according to the latest information on the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s official COVID-19 website.

“One of the foremost experts this morning talked about it raging in the United States. I believe we have stopped the exponential growth, but we can’t just stay where we are. We have got to start decreasing our cases,” Beshear said Monday.