Whitley, Laurel, Knox and Bell counties all report double-digit increases in new COVID-19 cases Friday

Whitley, Laurel, Knox and Bell counties all reported double-digit increases Friday in the number of new COVID-19 cases reported.

The Whitley County Health Department reported 20 new COVID-19 cases Friday, seven new cases Thursday, 13 new cases Wednesday, 19 new cases Tuesday, 29 new cases Monday, four new cases Sunday, and 17 new cases Saturday.

The health department also announced Friday that it was removing three previously reported cases that it had confirmed were not currently residing in Whitley County.

Whitley County has had a total of 1,013 COVID-19 cases factoring in Friday’s revised figures.

Whitley County has 171 active cases, including four people who are hospitalized, and 828 cases have been released from isolation.

Out of the 1,013 Whitley County cases, 92 patients were under the age of 18, 92 patients were ages 18-20, 180 patients were ages 21-30, 129 patients were ages 31-40, 134 patients were ages 41-50, 127 patients were ages 51-60, 100 patients were ages 61-70, 80 patients were age 71-80, and 79 patients were over age 80.

The Whitley County Health Department reported its 13^th and 14^th COVID-19 deaths on Nov. 6, and its 12^th COVID-19 death on Nov. 2.

Whitley County’s COVID–19 current case incidence rate is 41.4, which places it in the red category.

A county with a COVID-19 rate over 25 cases per 100,000 people is considered critical, which is signified on the state map with the color red. A county with a rate between 10-25 cases per 100,000 people is considered accelerated and is shown as orange on the state map. A county with 1-10 cases per 100,000 people is considered to have community spread and is signified on the state map with the color yellow. A county with less than one case per 100,000 people is considered on track and is signified by the color green on the state map.

The incidence rate for each county may be found online at www.kycovid19.com.

Laurel County

The Laurel County Health Department reported 43 new COVID-19 cases Friday, 37 new cases Thursday, 28 new cases, Wednesday and 57 new cases Tuesday, 24 new cases Monday, 17 new cases Sunday, and 33 new cases Saturday.

Friday’s new cases include: a 34-year-old male, a 39-year-old female, a 23-year-old female, a 73-year-old male, a 25-year-old male, a 15-year-old female, a 10-year-old female, a 22-year-old female, a 48-year-old female, a 30-year-old female, a 29-year-old female, a 70-year-old female, a 73-year-old female, a 32-year-old female, a 65-year-old female, a 38-year-old male, an 18-year-old male, a 36-year-old male, a 54-year-old male, a 53-year-old female, a 12-year-old female, a 45-year-old female, a 47-year-old male, a 47-year-old female, a 39-year-old male, a 70-year-old female, a 78-year-old female, a 59-year-old male, a 59-year-old female, a 57-year-old male, a 61-year-old female, a 53-year-old female, a 24-year-old female, a 24-year-old male, a 42-year-old female, a 12-year-old female, a 67-year-old male, a 24-year-old female, a 57-year-old female, a 61-year-old male, a 42-year-old male, a 22-year-old female, and a 49-year-old female.

The Laurel County Health Department also announced Friday that an additional 87 COVID-19 cases had recovered.

The Laurel County Health Department has reported a total of 1,741 COVID-19 cases, including: 1,113 recovered cases, and 606 active cases, of which 23 are currently hospitalized. A total of 10 of the active cases occurred within congregate settings.

Laurel County has reported 10 confirmed COVID-19-related deaths with the two most recent confirmed COVID-19 deaths being reported on Oct. 13.

Out of the 1,741 Laurel County cases, 200 patients were under the age of 18, 342 patients were ages 18-30, 272 patients were ages 31-40, 265 patients were ages 41-50, 253 patients were ages 51-60, 206 patients were ages 61-70, 133 patients were ages 71-80, and 70 patients were over age 80.

A total of 24,261 COVID-19 tests had been performed in Laurel County as of Nov. 2.

Laurel County’s COVID–19 incidence rate is 59.4, placing it in the red category.

Knox County

The Knox County Health Department reported 15 new COVID-19 cases Friday, including one case involving a child, 14 new cases Thursday, 48 new cases Wednesday, no cases were reported Tuesday (presumably included in Wednesday’s report), and 12 new cases Monday.

Knox County has had a total of 974 COVID-19 cases, including 199 active cases.

Knox County has had a total of 15 COVID-19 deaths with the most recent death occurring on Oct. 26.

Knox County’s COVID–19 current incidence rate is 37.6 placing it in the red category.

Bell County

The Bell County Health Department reported 14 new COVID-19 cases Friday, 13 new cases Thursday, four new cases Wednesday, 11 new cases Tuesday, 13 new cases Monday, two new cases Sunday, and 88 new cases Saturday tied to the Bell County Forestry Camp.

Bell County has had a total of 881 COVID-19 cases with six people currently hospitalized, who range in age from 48-81.

Bell County currently has 169 active individual cases, including two active long-term care cases, and 90 cases tied to the Bell County Forestry Camp, which are 84 inmates and six staff.

Bell County has reported a total of 21 COVID-19 deaths, which have all ranged in age from 62-97. The most recent death was reported on Oct. 15.

Bell County’s COVID–19 incidence rate is 81.2 placing it in the red category. Bell County had the second highest incidence rate in the state behind only Monroe County, which had a 135.5 incidence rate.

McCreary County

The Lake Cumberland District Health Department has reported a total of 317 COVID-19 cases in McCreary County as of Nov. 5.

Currently, there are 42 active McCreary County cases. One case is hospitalized and the remainder are in self-isolation. A total of 274 McCreary County cases are classified as not contagious, and there has been one McCreary County COVID-19 fatality.

McCreary County’s COVID–19 incidence rate Friday is 19.1 placing it in the orange category.

(Editor’s Note: The Lake Cumberland District Health Department, which McCreary County is a part of, typically doesn’t post updates on its cases until early to late evening. This is why the previous day’s totals are posted in this story.)

Statewide cases

On Friday, Gov. Andy Beshear reported 2,302 new COVID-19 cases, and 10 new COVID-19 deaths.

“These numbers are truly frightening. I know we’ve been in this fight for so long that it’s easy to get numb to the scary headlines and high case numbers,” said Beshear. “That’s normal. It’s human nature. But you have to understand this is the most dangerous COVID-19 has ever been in the commonwealth and it is leading to more of our fellow Kentuckians becoming sick, being hospitalized and dying. We can only get back to normal if we address it head on and that is why I am urging all of you, especially those in red counties, to follow recommendations for reducing the spread in your community.”

Statewide there have been 117,505 positive cases of the COVID-19 virus in Kentucky, and 1,544 total deaths from the virus. A total of 2,336,131 coronavirus tests have been performed in Kentucky, and at least 20,926 people have reported that they have recovered, according to the latest information on the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s official COVID-19 website.