Whitley County remains near top of state in COVID-19 incidence rate

Whitley County remained near the top of Kentucky’s 120 counties in COVID–19 incidence rate Tuesday at 190.7.

Only Rockcastle County, with a rate of 196.8, was higher.

Powell County at 187.3, Harlan County at 174.1 and Monroe County at 173 rounded out the top five.

Clinton County at 9.8 was the lowest and only county in the yellow zone.

Carlisle County and Livingston County were the only orange counties.

The Whitley County Health Department announced 74 new cases on Tuesday, including 21 children.

“None were vaccinated,” health department officials said of the new cases.

There are currently 336 active COVID–19 cases in Whitley County.

Baptist Health Corbin reported Monday that it had 451 patients that had been admitted because of COVID–19.

Of those patients, 115 were in intensive care and 80 were on a ventilator.

Hospital officials noted that 383 of the patients had not been vaccinated.

Ten of the ICU patients had been fully vaccinated and four of the patients on ventilators had been fully vaccinated prior to their diagnosis.

“This is like a war zone to us. We have staff members experiencing PTSD, just as a soldier would in the time of war,” said Sherrie Mays, MSN, RN, vice president and chief nursing officer at Baptist Health Corbin. “My heart breaks for my staff. I see them out there working every day. They put this hospital and the patients ahead of their families so that our patients can be taken care of.” She added: “If you have the vaccine, your case is going to be milder. You can’t think that this is just the flu and you’re going to stay home and take care of it. It is COVID, and we have to address it early on.”

Among the other neighboring counties, Laurel County’s incidence rate is 97.7, Knox County is 147.7 and McCreary County is 135.1.