OWENSBORO, Ky. — After seeing a rapid rise in new confirmed COVID-19 cases, Ohio County has had another resident pass away due to COVID-19 related complications. Since the start of the pandemic, 12 Ohio Countians have died.
If losing another Ohio Countian isn’t horrible enough, the county picked up another 14 new confirmed COVID-19 cases. Ohio County has picked up 79 new confirmed cases in less than a week. The county’s total confirmed COVID-19 cases stands at 764 with 610 of those patients having recovered or died.
At this time, Ohio County has 154 active confirmed COVID-19 cases, far and away the most than at anytime during the pandemic. Of those active cases, three people are hospitalized. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 53 Ohio Countians have been hospitalized and 12 of those patients have died.
In a bit of good news, Ohio County Schools has had one of its confirmed COVID-19 patients to recover. A staff member, from the Ohio County High School, who tested positive for COVID-19 recently, has recovered from the disease. OC Schools still has six confirmed cases of COVID-19 with five being staff members and one being a student. Of the staff members, one is from OCHS, one is from Western Elementary and three are from the Ohio County Board of Education’s Central Office. The student case is also from OCHS.
In all, OC Schools has had 22 confirmed COVID-19 cases since the start of the school year. Of those 22 cases, 16 have recovered with nine of those cases being staff members and six being in-person learning students and one virtual-remote learning student.
The Green River District Health Department had more frightening news to report for the area, as there were 142 additional confirmed COVID-19 cases within the district today, with 60 in Daviess County, six in Hancock County, 33 in Henderson County, 14 in McLean County, 15 in Union County and 14 in Webster County.
Today’s report has the largest number of confirmed COVID- 19 cases in a single day for the seven-county region, surpassing the Nov. 10, 2020, report of 147 new cases.
- There have been 6,494 reported COVID-19 cases in the district to date.
- The district-wide total of recovered cases is now 5,092 (78 percent).
- 36 reported confirmed cases are currently hospitalized.
- 431 (7 percent) have required hospitalization.
- There have been 108 COVID-19 related deaths in the district.
- The state of Kentucky is currently reporting 129,680 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 1,622 statewide deaths.
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. Flu shots, including the high dose vaccine for those 65 years of age and older, can also be scheduled on our website or by calling your county health department for an appointment.
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: 45.1 percent
Female: 54.9 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 healthcare 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.
