OWENSBORO, Ky. — Tuesday, August 18, 2020, the Green River District Health Department reported 28 additional confirmed COVID-19 cases, 16 in Daviess County, five in Henderson County, six in Ohio County and one in Webster County. The person who died was a Daviess County resident.
- The total number of reported COVID-19 cases in the district is 1,883.
- Fifteen reported confirmed cases are currently hospitalized.
- 167 (9 percent) have required hospitalization.
- There have been 24 COVID-19 related deaths in the district.
- The district-wide total of recovered cases is now 1,611 (85.5 percent).
- The state of Kentucky is currently reporting 39,691 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 818 statewide deaths.
Ohio County gained six new confirmed COVID-19 cases today, according to the GRDHD. Ohio County now has had a total of 382 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 337 of those patients having recovered. Ohio County has 45 active confirmed cases of COVID-19 with two of those patients in the hospital. Ohio County has had 28 total hospitalizations since the start of the pandemic. Ohio County has had nine residents die due to COVID-19.
COVID-19 Testing
The health department is offering free COVID-19 testing. 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.
Demographics
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: 42
Age range: 7 months old – 95
Male – 48.7 percent
Female – 51.3 percent
COVID-19 Guidance
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.
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. 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 – www.kycovid19.ky.gov. The public can also call the Kentucky COVID-19 hotline at 800-722- 5725.