As of Friday afternoon, Whitley County has four total confirmed cases of COVID-19

Whitley County now has four confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus.

The first confirmed case of the coronavirus in Whitley County was announced by the Whitley County Health Department on April 6.

On Friday morning, the Whitley County Health Department reported that a second case had been confirmed, and about 2 p.m. Friday announced that two additional cases had been confirmed bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Whitley County to four adult people.

The Whitley County Health Department is collaborating with partners to identify people who have had close contact with these people and are at risk for infection. Those people will be contacted and provided instructions, the health department said in a release.

“We are grateful to report that the first identified case in Whitley County has recovered,” said Marcy Rein, Whitley County Health Department Public Health Director. “We ask that people stay home as much as possible to help stop the spread of COVID-19.”

Rein noted in the release that the health department cannot release any additional details about the four people diagnosed because of medical privacy laws.

“As this situation evolves, we will continue to communicate with our partners and the people of Whitley County,” Rein said. “Help our community stay as healthy as possible by staying home. Some people can’t stay at home, like healthcare workers and people working to deliver vital products and services. We appreciate their sacrifices, and you can honor them by staying home.”

Rein said Friday morning that the second case has no connection to the first case.

It is unknown at this time whether the third and fourth confirmed cases are related to each other, or any other confirmed cases in Whitley County.

Neighboring counties are reporting varying numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases ranging from none to eight.

The Laurel County Health Department reported its first confirmed case of COVID-19 on March 24, and now has eight confirmed cases. Five of the cases involve men, and three of the cases involve women. One of the victims has recovered, and seven still have active cases. Four of the Laurel County patients are in hospital isolation, and four are in home isolation, according to the Laurel County Health Department’s website.

According to the Lake Cumberland Health Department’s website, there have been five confirmed COVID-19 cases in McCreary County. Two of the victims are currently in self-isolation, and three have been released from isolation.

On April 6, the Knox County Health Department announced the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in that county.

The Barbourville Police Department announced that the Knox County resident was a police department employee, who had tested positive for the virus.

According to a release, the employee last worked a shift on March 30 and is recovering at home.

Six Barbourville police officers and Mayor David Thompson went into quarantine after coming into contact with a person who tested positive for Knox County’s first case of COVID-19.

According the state of Kentucky’s official COVID-19 website, there have been no reported cases of the coronavirus in Bell County.

As of 5 p.m. Thursday, there were 1,452 people, who had tested positive for COVID-19 in Kentucky, and there were 79 reported deaths.

So far, at least 23,170 people have been tested in Kentucky.

Most people will develop only mild symptoms with COVID-19 infection. However, some people are at a higher risk for severe illness. These include people older than 60 years and people with health conditions like heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, kidney disease, or the immune-compromised. It takes our whole community to keep everyone healthy.

The health department offers these tips:

• Stay home if you are sick.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.

Symptoms of COVID-19 may include fever, cough, or shortness of breath. People who are experiencing symptoms should contact their health care provider.

For more information, visit www.kycovid19.ky.gov or call 1.800.722.5725. You can also like the Whitley County Health Department Facebook page.