OWENSBORO, Ky. — Monday, Oct. 19, 2020, the Green River District Health Department reported 68 additional confirmed COVID-19 cases with 22 in Daviess County, one in Hancock County, 19 in Henderson County, eight in McLean County, two in Ohio County, 11 in Union County and five in Webster County. The total number of reported COVID-19 cases in the district is now 4,522.
Last week, Green River District saw an additional 374 reported COVID-19 cases. The past week also saw 17 COVID-19 related deaths in the seven-county region. The number of deaths reported in the district since the beginning of the pandemic has doubled since the first of October.
- 36 reported confirmed cases are currently hospitalized.
- 331 (7 percent) have required hospitalization.
- There have been 74 COVID-19 related deaths in the district.
- The district-wide total of recovered cases is now 3,661 (81 percent).
- The state of Kentucky is currently reporting 87,607 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 1,318 statewide deaths.
Ohio County adds two new confirmed cases to its total number of COVID-19 cases. With today’s new cases, Ohio County’s total cases since the start of the pandemic stands at 574 with 485 of those patients recovering from the disease. Ohio County has 89 active confirmed cases of COVID-19 at this time. Three of those patients are hospitalized.
Since Friday’s report, Ohio County Schools has had another staff member recover from COVID-19. The staff member was from Ohio County Middle School. OC Schools now has two active confirmed COVID-19 cases, both students, one in-person learning student from Ohio County High School and one virtual/remote learning student with Wayland Elementary.
OC Schools has had a total of 12 confirmed COVID-19 cases since schools re-opened, seven staff and five students. Of those, 11 have recovered, seven staff and four students.
COVID-19 Testing & Flu Shots
The health department is offering free COVID-19 testing. We encourage anyone who has been in crowds, had close contact with people in public, or traveled recently to get tested. 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 are being investigated and confirmed locally. These cases are then reported to the Kentucky Department for Public Health.
Average Age: 45
Age Range: 1 month to 100 years old
Male: 45.4 percent
Female: 54.6 percent
COVID-19 Guidance
“We want to remind people to protect themselves and those around them. Continue to practice the three “W’s:” wear a mask, wash your hands and watch your distance,” said Clay Horton, GRDHD Public Health Director. “This is important in private get together settings with friends and family when interacting with coworkers and in social settings like weddings. Keep any gatherings small and outside to reduce the risk of transmission. Avoid sharing items with anyone outside of your household, since this can promote the spread of the virus. Leaders of organizations like churches and workplace supervisors are encouraged to lead by example and make wise decisions to protect those for whom you are responsible.”
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.
