Three new COVID–19 cases reported in Whitley County Friday

Three new cases of COVID–19 were reported in Whitley County Friday.

Officials with the Whitley County Health Department said while one case is confirmed, two are being labeled as probable because of the type of testing used on the patients.

That brings Whitley County’s case total to 57, 14 of which are active.

Of the 14 active cases, officials stated that two are in isolation in the hospital, while the other 12 are isolating at home.

Among the 57 patients:

• Five are age 71 to 80.
• Six are age 61 to 70.
• Five are age 51 to 60
• Seven are age 41 to 50
• Eleven are age 31 to 40
• Thirteen are age 21 to 30
• Six are age 18 to 20
• Four are under the age of 18.

Among the three new patients, one each falls into the categories of under 18, age 51 to 60, and 41 to 50.

Thirty–eight are male and 16 are female.

Laurel County Health Department officials did not release an update Friday as the office was closed because of employee training.

Knox County reported no new cases on Friday.

Bell County

For the second consecutive day, Bell County Health Department officials reported 13 new cases on Friday, one of which proved fatal.

Officials identified the fatality as an 85-year-old male.

A 74-year-old female, 71-year-old female, and 76-year-old female have been hospitalized.

The newest cases brings the total in Bell County to 151, 67 of which remain active.

Eight-four people have recovered.

At Gov. Andy Beshear’s briefing Friday, he noted that the 531 new cases across the state was the third highest number of cases in a single day.

That brings the number of cases to 21,605 out of more than 522,000 tests performed.

There are 452 people hospitalized because of COVID–19, with 89 in intensive care.

“It is incredibly important that we stop this where it is right now,” Beshear said, noting that under federal guidelines, if the number of positive cases exceeds five percent, it would force the reopenings to be scaled back.

“This is about the people of Kentucky,” Beshear said, noting his three priorities with the executive orders mandating masks and social distancing are to protect the lives and health of the people, restart the economy and reopen schools.

“We know what we can do to lessen the impact,” Beshear said.