Statewide Testing Positivity Rate: 4.29%.

Deaths: We are happy to report no new deaths today. We have experienced a total of 71 deaths resulting in a 2.3% mortality rate among known cases. This compares with a 1.64% mortality rate at the state level, and a 2.81% morality rate at the national level.

Hospitalizations: We presently have 17 cases in the hospital. This is 2 more than yesterday. The most hospitalizations we have had at any one time was 33 on 09/02/2020. We have had a total of 252 hospitalizations resulting in a 8.18% hospitalization rate among known cases. The state hospitalization rate is 7.58%. The latest state data shows that 66% of ICU beds and 26% of ventilator capacity are being utilized.

Total (Cumulative) Cases: The Lake Cumberland District has experienced a total of 3,082 cases since the onset of the outbreak. This means that 1.48% of our total population have been a confirmed case. However, we do not know how many additional people may have had COVID-19 and were either asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic and never tested.

Released (Not contagious) Cases: We released 19 cases today from isolation. Released cases include: Clinton: 2; Green: 2; McCreary: 2; and, Pulaski: 13. In all, we have released 88.5% of our total cases.

Active (Current) Cases: We added 25 more cases today than we released historic cases. Taking all things into account, this leaves us with 284 active cases in our district across all 10 of our district’s 10 counties. On 09/02/2020 we were at our peak number of active cases, 411.

Where are Cases Tied to: The most common areas to which where we are seeing cases tied are (in descending order): Businesses, Schools, Family, and Places of Worship.

New Cases: We report that our total case count has increased by 44 today: Adair: 14; Clinton: 1; Cumberland: 1; Green: 2; McCreary: 5; Pulaski: 9; Russell: 2; Taylor: 7; and, Wayne: 3. Our current new case growth rate is: 1.012. This means our total case count is projected to double every 59.82 days. The most new cases we ever added in a single day was on 08/26/2020 when we added 75 cases.

Today’s new cases include:

• Adair: A 36-year-old male who is self-isolated, asymptomatic
• Adair: A 26-year-old female who is self-isolated, asymptomatic
• Adair: A 3-year-old female who is self-isolated, asymptomatic
• Adair: A 45-year-old male who is self-isolated, asymptomatic
• Adair: A 82-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• Adair: A 85-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• Adair: A 8-year-old female who is self-isolated, asymptomatic
• Adair: A 82-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• Adair: A 83-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• Adair: A 41-year-old female who is self-isolated, asymptomatic
• Adair: A 43-year-old male who is hospitalized, still symptomatic
• Adair: A 24-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• Adair: A 77-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• Adair: A 85-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• Clinton: A 19-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• Cumberland: A 18-year-old female who is self-isolated, asymptomatic
• Green: A 32-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• Green: A 21-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• McCreary: A 35-year-old female who is self-isolated, asymptomatic
• McCreary: A 42-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• McCreary: A 5-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• McCreary: A 20-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• McCreary: A 65-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• Pulaski: A 50-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• Pulaski: A 20-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• Pulaski: A 40-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• Pulaski: A 65-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• Pulaski: A 52-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• Pulaski: A 49-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• Pulaski: A 22-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• Pulaski: A 69-year-old female who is hospitalized, still symptomatic
• Pulaski: A 69-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• Russell: A 20-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• Russell: A 28-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• Taylor: A 57-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• Taylor: A 44-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• Taylor: A 25-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• Taylor: A 25-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• Taylor: A 67-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• Taylor: A 46-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• Taylor: A 14-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• Wayne: A 23-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• Wayne: A 31-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
• Wayne: A 51-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic

We now have 3 counties, Adair, Clinton, and McCreary in the “red-critical” range of community-spread. Also, today we had a very significant cluster tied to a church revival in the Adair County area. Much of the recent increases in McCreary County were also tied back to a recent church revival. This is a reminder that in any setting where there is social gathering (churches, factories, schools, restaurants, sporting events, etc.) masking and keeping at least a 6-foot spacing is necessary to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. At the state and local level, we are experiencing a sharp increase in new cases. More cases will lead to more mortality and more hospitalizations.

It is difficult for me to understand why keeping a space-bubble and wearing a facial-coving are such a controversial issue during a pandemic. Surely, we in Lake Cumberland can overlook how politicians at the state and federal level have turned these simple public health practices into politically controversial issues. The simple truths are that cases are on the rise and more of our counties are drifting into the “red-critical” range of community-spread. None of us want to see another economic shut-down. None of us want to see schools closed. So, please, let’s all continue to do our part in slowing the spread of COVID-19 by wearing our face coverings, avoiding crowds (especially in confined spaces), social distancing when around others, increasing our hand hygiene, increasing our general sanitation, and by avoiding the touching of our faces.

The Lake Cumberland area has experienced 3,082 cumulative confirmed cases and there have been 74,277 confirmed COVID-19 cases across all 120 Kentucky Counties as of today (this includes 74,194 statewide plus 83 recently reported cases in Lake Cumberland not in the Governor’s/Department for Public Health’s daily report).
 

Regardless of the confirmed case count for any Lake Cumberland County, we believe COVID-19 to be widespread. The LCDHD is working tirelessly, including nights and weekends, to identify and contact all those with whom any positive case may have come into close contact, and to follow-up daily with positive cases.
 

Additionally, we are striving diligently to follow-up on business-related complaints regarding noncompliance with the Governor’s Executive Orders. We are also working with any community partner that requests assistance for prevention or post-exposure planning/response.