Laurel, Bell, Knox, McCreary counties report new COVID-19 cases Thursday

Laurel, Bell, Knox and McCreary counties all reported new COVID-19 cases Thursday with three of the four having lower rates than each county has generally seen in recent days.

The Laurel County Health Department reported seven new COVID-19 cases Thursday, who range in age from a seven-month-old to a 74-year-old. All are recovering at home.

Thursday’s new cases include: a seven-month-old male, a 74-year-old female, 22-year-old male, five-year-old male, a 62-year-old female, a 66-year-old male, and a 37-year-old female.

The Laurel County Health Department reported 10 new cases Wednesday, three new cases Tuesday, 11 new cases Monday, three new cases Sunday, eight new COVID-19 cases Saturday, and five new cases Friday.

The Laurel County Health Department has reported a total of 459 cases, including: 217 recovered cases, and 237 active cases, of which nine are hospitalized, and 228 are isolating at home.

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

Between March 24 and June 4, there were 22 COVID-19 cases diagnosed in Laurel County. Since June 9, there have been an additional 437 cases reported there, according to the Laurel County Health Department.

Out of the 459 Laurel County cases, 52 patients were under the age of 18, 112 patients were ages 18-30, 77 patients were ages 31-40, 61 patients were ages 41-50, 63 patients were ages 51-60, 63 patients were ages 61-70, 21 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.

Bell County

The Bell County Health Department reported five additional COVID-19 cases Thursday, including two individual independent cases and three long-term care cases. The Bell County Health Department reported seven COVID-19 cases Wednesday, including two individual independent cases and five long-term care cases.

The Bell County Health Department reported four new cases Tuesday, four new cases Monday, three new cases Saturday, and four new cases Friday.

Bell County now has 79 active cases, including eight who are hospitalized: a 66-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 an 87-year-old female.

Bell County has had a total of 327 COVID-19 cases, including 248 people, who have recovered.

The Bell County Health Department reported its sixth fatality on Aug. 10. All fatalities have involved patients, who ranged in age from 68 to 85.

Knox County

The Knox County Health Department reported two new COVID-19 cases Thursday.

The Knox County Health Department reported eight new cases Wednesday, seven new cases Tuesday, 16 new cases Monday, and five new cases Friday.

Knox County has a total of 265 COVID-19 cases.

On Wednesday, the Knox County Health Department reported the county’s ninth COVID-19 death.

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 255 new COVID-19 cases diagnosed in Knox County.

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.

McCreary County

For the second consecutive day, the Lake Cumberland District Health Department reported three new COVID-19 cases in McCreary County Thursday.

The three new McCreary County cases involve a 75-year-old male, a 73-year-old female, and a 61-year-old male, who are all self-isolated but still symptomatic.

The Lake Cumberland District Health Department reported one new case in McCreary County Monday.

McCreary County has had a total of 52 COVID-19 cases, including 15 active cases of whom 14 are self-isolated and one is hospitalized. 37 McCreary County cases have recovered.

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

Whitley County

The Whitley County Health Department reported no new COVID-19 cases, and only reported one case Wednesday, two cases Tuesday, two cases Monday, and seven new cases Friday.

Whitley County has a total of 165 COVID-19 cases, including 84 active cases. Four Whitley County residents are isolating in the hospital, and 80 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 154 additional cases diagnosed.

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

Out of the 165 Whitley County cases, 20 patients were under the age of 18, 10 patients were ages 18-20, 32 patients were ages 21-30, 35 patients were ages 31-40, 21 patients were ages 41-50, 17 patients were ages 51-60, 13 patients were ages 61-70, 14 patients were age 71-80, and three patients were over age 80.

Statewide cases

Gov. Andy Beshear reported 785 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, including 25 cases involving children ages five and under, and six new deaths.

“We know that we have a lot of work to do to create the type of safe environments that we need to,” said Beshear. “Wearing a facial covering is working. Other steps are working. But we need you to stick with it. We cannot make decisions that are going to cause a significant spread.”

Statewide there have been 37,686 total positive cases of the COVID-19 virus in Kentucky, and 796 total deaths from the virus. More than 730,362 people in Kentucky have been tested for COVID-19, and at least 8,965 people have reported that they have recovered, according to the latest information on the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s official COVID-19 website.