Breakthrough COVID cases in Whitley County

The Whitley County Health Department announced 39 new COVID–19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the number of residents that have tested positive for the virus to 4,327.

Officials noted that there are currently 243 active cases.

After announcing the first breakthrough case – meaning the individual had been fully vaccinated – last Friday, officials announced four additional breakthroughs on Tuesday.

The county’s vaccination rate stands at 33.2 percent.

As of Tuesday night, Whitley County’s COVID–19 incidence rate had reached 70.9.

Of Kentucky’s 120 counties, all but 11 are in the red zone, meaning the incidence rate is above 25 per 100,000 population.

Fulton, Hickman and Lee counties are the only counties that remain in the yellow.

Crittenden, Lyon, Trigg, Simpson, Russell, Wayne, Nicholas, Robertson and Campbell counties are in the orange.

Clay County has the highest rate at 131.4.

Laurel County’s rate stands at 91.1.

Laurel County Health Department officials announced 358 new COVID–19 cases for week of July 31 through Aug. 6.

Ten of those cases required hospitalization, bringing the current hospitalizations to 34.

According to officials there were 745 active cases as of last Friday, which is the last date that the health department reported totals.

There are now 20,038 fully vaccinated residents in Laurel County.

Knox County is at 70.9

Whitley County has only had one breakthrough COVID–19 related death, which occurred on July 27 and involved an adult over the age of 65, said Whitley County Public Health Director Marcy Rein.

“That person was fully vaccinated,” Rein said noting that the individual was hospitalized at the time of death.

That death marks the third COVID–19 death in Whitley County in the last three weeks.