OWENSBORO, Ky. — Friday, May 14, 2021, the Green River District Health Department reported 33 additional confirmed COVID-19 cases with 12 in Daviess County, 10 in Henderson County, three in Ohio County, four in Union County and four in Webster County.
- There have been 21,992 reported COVID-19 cases in the district to date.
- The district-wide total of recovered cases is now 19,690 (90%).
- 10 reported confirmed cases are currently hospitalized.
- 876 (4%) have required hospitalization.
- There have been 395 COVID-19 related deaths in the district.
- The state of Kentucky is currently reporting 451,213 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 6,637 statewide deaths.
Ohio County added three new confirmed COVID-19 cases to its total today. The county’s total confirmed COVID-19 cases stands at 2,519 with 2,263 of those patients having recovered.
One Ohio Countian is currently hospitalized with COVID-19 related issues and 56 Ohio Countians have died due to COVID-19 related complications. At this time, just 26.47% of eligible Ohio Countians have been vaccinated, the second-lowest percentage in the seven-county Green River District.
Since yesterday’s report, Ohio County Schools has added one new confirmed COVID-19 case. This brings OC Schools’ total confirmed cases to 228. Of those total cases, 217 patients have recovered from the disease. Of those who recovered from the disease, 97 were staff members and 120 were students.
Currently, OC Schools has a total of 11 active confirmed COVID-19 cases with five of those active cases being staff members and six active cases being students.
Of the staff member active confirmed COVID-19 cases, one is from Beaver Dam Elementary, two are from Horse Branch Elementary, one is from Ohio County Middle School and one is from Wayland Elementary.
Of the student active confirmed COVID-19 cases, three are from Ohio County High School and three are from OCMS.
GRDHD COVID-19 Vaccine & Testing Availability
Kentucky COVID-19 vaccination eligibility is expanded to include all phases. All persons age 12 or older are eligible for Pfizer and all persons age 18 and older are eligible for Moderna. Visit healthdepartment.org or call your local county health department to be placed on our scheduling list. Green River District Health Department is offering free COVID-19 testing. To schedule an appointment, visit the GRDHD website, healthdepartment.org, and follow the COVID-19 Test prompts or call your local county health department. You must be pre-registered to be tested.
Additional COVID-19 Vaccine Information
Kentucky residents can visit vaccine.ky.gov to find a vaccine location and sign-up for update notifications. Additional COVID-19 vaccine information can be found at vaccines.gov.
Retail pharmacies and health centers are also providing COVID-19 vaccinations.
Kentucky COVID-19 vaccine dashboard and information: https://govstatus.egov.com/ky-covid-vaccine.
Kentucky COVID-19 Vaccine Hotline: 800-722-5725 can answer general COVID-19 vaccine questions.
Owensboro Health – You can make a new COVID-19 vaccination appointment online at owensborohealth.org/vaccine or by calling central scheduling at 270-685-7100.
Deaconess in Henderson County and Union County – COVID-19 vaccine information can be found at https://www.deaconess.com/Coronavirus/COVID-19-Vaccine.
Ohio County Healthcare – To schedule a COVID-19 vaccination appointment visit https://ochcares.com/COVID or call 270-215-9082 Monday through Friday from 8:00 am – 4:30 pm.
New CDC Guidance Released – Choosing Safer Activities
- If you are fully vaccinated you can start doing many things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic.
- When choosing safer activities, consider how COVID-19 is spreading in your community, the num- ber of people participating in the activity, and the location of the activity.
- Outdoor visits and activities are safer than indoor activities, and fully vaccinated people can partici- pate in some indoor events safely, without much risk.
- Unvaccinated, not fully vaccinated, and immunocompromised individuals should continue to take all the same precautions like wearing a mask and socially distancing as they have been.
- Masks are still required for all individuals in health care facilities, confinement facilities, nursing homes, schools, and public transportation.
- If you are fully vaccinated you have a strong level of protection against COVID-19.
- The supply of vaccines is plentiful in our communities. If you have not been vaccinated yet, you are strongly encouraged to do so as soon as possible! Kentucky residents can visit vaccine.ky.gov to find the most convenient vaccination location.
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: 43
Age Range: 1 month to 102 years old
Male: 46.8%
Female: 53.2%
Additional COVID-19 Guidance
A person is considered fully vaccinated 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine. If you don’t meet these requirements, regardless of your age, you are NOT fully vaccinated. Keep taking all precautions until you are fully vaccinated. Fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance in any setting, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business, and workplace guidance. Fully vaccinated people can refrain from testing following a known exposure unless they are residents or employees of a correctional or detention facility or a homeless shelter. For additional guidance go to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html.
The health department wants to reinforce this guidance with the community:
- Avoid crowds and social distance, if you are not fully vaccinated.
- 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 mask when you have to go out in public if you are not fully vaccinated.
- 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% 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 individuals 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.