OWENSBORO, Ky. — Wednesday April 29, 2020, the Green River District Health Department reported 20 additional confirmed COVID-19 cases, 14 in Daviess County, two in Henderson County, one in McLean County, two in Ohio County and one in Webster County. The total number of reported COVID-19 cases in the district is 340.
Eighteen people in the district are currently hospitalized. Of the 340 confirmed cases in the district, 47 (14 percent) have required hospitalization. The district-wide total of recovered cases is now 168 (49 percent).
Ohio County, with today’s 2 confirmed cases, has had a total of 43 confirmed cases of COVID-19. However, 14 of those patients have recovered leaving Ohio County with 29 active COVID-19 cases. Two of those patients are hospitalized at this time.
At last night’s Ohio County Fiscal Court meeting, Ohio County Judge-Executive David Johnston reported there were between 100-110 Perdue Farms employees who had contracted COVID-19. According to Johnston, he was told by the Green River District Health Department 24-25 of those Perdue employees were Ohio County residents.
Later in the meeting, First District Magistrate Sam Small, who works at Perdue Farms, said most of the Perdue COVID-19 cases were related to work carpools and groups of family members who worked at the plant. Johnston said most of the patients were infected outside of work and not at work.
GRDHD will offer drive-through COVID-19 testing Tuesday, May 5 through Thursday, May 7, 2020. The testing site is on the campus of Owensboro Community and Technical College. To schedule an appointment, visit the GRDHD website, healthdepartment.org, and follow the COVID-19 Test prompts. Testing times are available from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Testing is open to Kentucky residents. There is limited availability. You must be pre-registered to be tested. If you are sick, experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, including but not limited to fever, cough and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, or feel you have a medical emergency, call your health care provider. The testing is free of charge.
“We all play a part in stopping the spread of COVID-19. Stay home, avoid crowds, wash your hands, and practice physical social distancing, staying at least 6 feet away from others. We can’t let our guard down.” said Clay Horton, Public Health Director. “We are happy to have been given the opportunity to help expand testing resources in our community. This is just one more piece to fulfilling our testing needs. We are thankful of all the help and support we get from our partners in the health care sector who are also continuing to provide COVID-19 testing for our community as well.”
The cases being reported from the GRDHD have been investigated and confirmed locally. These cases are then reported to the Kentucky Department for Public Health.
Additional demographic information includes:
Average age: 45
Age range: 7 months old – 93
Male – 54.1 percent
Female – 45.9 percent
The health department wants to reinforce this guidance with the community:
- Stay home, avoid crowds and social distance
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick (fever, cough, sneeze, and difficulty breathing).
- To avoid close contact, stay at least 6 feet away from others.
- Wear a cloth face cover when you have to go out in public.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- To avoid coughing into your hands, you can cough into your elbow.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
Adults over 60 and people who have severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease seem to be at higher risk for more serious COVID-19 illness. Those people should be extra vigilant and stay home. To help answer the community’s questions about COVID-19, the Kentucky Department for Public health has set up a website with the latest guidance and information for Kentucky residents. The site can be accessed at www.kycovid19.ky.gov. The public can also call the Kentucky COVID-19 hotline at 800-722-5725.