OWENSBORO, Ky. — Thursday, May 21, 2020, the Green River District Health Department reported 10 additional confirmed COVID-19 cases, four in Daviess County, three in Henderson County and three in Ohio County. The total number of reported COVID-19 cases in the district is 609.
Thirteen people in the district are currently hospitalized. Of the 609 confirmed cases in the district, 70 (11 percent) have required hospitalization. The district-wide total of recovered cases is now 444 (73 percent). As of May 20, 2020, the state of Kentucky was reporting 8,167 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 376 statewide deaths.
Ohio County now has had a total of 144 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Of those 144, 85 patients have recovered, leaving the county with 59 active cases. Currently, there are no Ohio County patients hospitalized with COVID-19.
The health department will continue to offer free COVID-19 testing. The testing schedule will be posted soon. To schedule an appointment, visit the GRDHD website, https://healthdepartment.org, and follow the COVID-19 Test prompts. You must be pre-registered to be tested. If you are sick, experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, including but not limited to a fever, cough, and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, or feel you have a medical emergency, call your health care provider.
Kroger will be providing testing at the Ohio County Fairgrounds this week through today. Next week, testing will be provided at Henderson Community and Technical College from May 26 through May 28. To sign-up for the Kroger testing site visit https://www.thelittleclinic.com/drivethru-testing.
Both Ohio County Healthcare and Governor Andy Beshear encouraged all Ohio Countians to get tested. There are plenty of tests available and whether you feel sick or not, whether you have COVID-19 or not doesn’t matter. The data collected from each test will prove useful to medical professionals.
The cases being reported from the Green River District Health Department have been investigated and confirmed locally. These cases are then reported to the Kentucky Department for Public Health.
Additional demographic information includes*
Average age: 43
Age range: 7 months old – 93
Male – 55.6 percent
Female – 44.4 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.