Statewide Testing Positivity Rate: 12.45%.
Deaths: We are happy to report no new deaths today. We have experienced a total of 280 deaths resulting in a 1.81% mortality rate (about 1 in 55) among known cases. This compares with a 0.96% mortality rate at the state level, and a 1.68% mortality rate at the national level.
Hospitalizations: We presently have 67 cases* in the hospital. This is 2 more than what we reported yesterday. We have had a total of 871 hospitalizations resulting in a 5.64% hospitalization rate (about 1 in 18) among known cases. The state hospitalization rate is 4.8%. The latest data shows that 95.56% of Lake Cumberland’s ICU beds are filled, and 32.76% of ventilator capacity is being utilized. (*This number is an estimation. Due to the high numbers, we only check with the hospitals on Fridays now. Therefore, the best time to see the most accurate hospital data will be in the Saturday News Brief.)
Total (Cumulative) Cases: The Lake Cumberland District has experienced a total of 15,456 cases since the onset of the outbreak. This means that 7.4% 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 144 cases today from isolation. Released cases include: Adair: 9; Casey: 6; Clinton: 12; Cumberland: 7; Green: 4; McCreary: 7; Pulaski: 55; Russell: 8; Taylor: 13; and, Wayne: 23. In all, we have released 91.4% of our total cases.
Active (Current) Cases: Taking into account deaths and releases, our active cases decreased by 60 more than the new cases we added today. This leaves us with 1,043 active cases in our district across all 10 of our district’s 10 counties. On 12/10/2020 we were at our peak number of active cases, 1,340.
Where Did Cases Visit Prior to Isolation: The most common places cases visited prior to isolation are (in descending order): Businesses, Schools, Family, and Long-term Care/Residential Facilities. We have had 60 cases tied to Christmas gaterings, 43 tied to Thanksgiving gatherings, and 7 tied to New Year’s events. Of our active cases, 9% can not be tied back to another known case (community-spread cases).
New Cases: We report that our total case count has increased by 84 today: Casey: 12; Clinton: 3; Cumberland: 2; Green: 1; McCreary: 3; Pulaski: 46; Russell: 1; Taylor: 11; and, Wayne: 5. Our current new case growth rate is: 1.014. This means our total case count is projected to double every 48.78 days. The most new cases we ever added in a single day was on 12/30/2020 when we added 301 cases.
Today’s new cases include:
Casey: A 49-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Casey: A 41-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Casey: A 16-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Casey: A 57-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Casey: A 8-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Casey: A 73-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Casey: A 19-year-old female who is released, Resolved;
Casey: A 12-year-old female who is released, Resolved;
Casey: A 48-year-old female who is released, Resolved;
Casey: A 21-year-old female who is released, Resolved;
Casey: A 18-year-old female who is released, Resolved;
Casey: A 26-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Clinton: A 31-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Clinton: A 42-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Clinton: A 29-year-old male who is released, Resolved;
Cumberland: A 7-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Cumberland: A 42-year-old female who is released, Resolved;
Green: A 54-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
McCreary: A 84-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
McCreary: A 53-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
McCreary: A 56-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 38-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 59-year-old female who is released, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 17-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 70-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 31-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 17-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 42-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 30-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 67-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 27-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 71-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 68-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 22-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 25-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 23-year-old female who is released, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 63-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 18-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 80-year-old female who is hospitalized, Asymptomatic;
Pulaski: A 20-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 70-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 61-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 37-year-old male who is self-isolated, Asymptomatic;
Pulaski: A 29-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 77-year-old female who is self-isolated, Asymptomatic;
Pulaski: A 76-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 24-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 15-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 29-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 85-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 85-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 17-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 26-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 28-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 48-year-old male who is self-isolated, Asymptomatic;
Pulaski: A 38-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 23-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 5-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 37-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 65-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 39-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 22-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 14-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 3-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 49-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 25-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Pulaski: A 38-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Russell: A 25-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Taylor: A 20-year-old male who is self-isolated, Asymptomatic;
Taylor: A 66-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Taylor: A 8-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Taylor: A 56-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Taylor: A 72-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Taylor: A 64-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Taylor: A 59-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Taylor: A 16-year-old male who is self-isolated, Asymptomatic;
Taylor: A 38-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Taylor: A 73-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Taylor: A 42-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Wayne: A 20-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Wayne: A 28-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Wayne: A 4-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Wayne: A 71-year-old male who is self-isolated, still symptomatic;
Wayne: A 21-year-old female who is self-isolated, still symptomatic
We are getting numerous questions about why different counties in the state are at different places with their COVID-19 vaccine administration response. For the moment, all counties are supposed to still be primarily focused on Phase 1a (medical staff, and nursing homes). However, since the Moderna vaccines come in shipments of 100 doses, in some occasions there may be some left-over vaccine from week to week where Phase 1a recipients can not be found. Every provider in every county is encouraged to use this surplus vaccine. So, in some instances, some counties will vaccinate a few folks in Phase 1b (first responders, school staff, or those ages 70 and over) with this surplus Phase 1a vaccine. Also, since 100 doses goes much farther in a small county with a population of, say, 6,000, than it would in a county with a population of 70,000, everyone is going to have to become comfortable with the fact that some counties are going to get ahead of other counties when progressing through the COVID-19 vaccination phases.
Also, as far as the local health departments go, the State Department for Public Health arranges for our vaccines to be shipped to us from the drug companies. Likewise, any other area providers who are receiving vaccines (hospitals and maybe a few others), are having their orders also arranged directly by the State Department for Public Health. The local health departments have no input over which local providers receive the vaccine or how they distribute it. They are all supposed to be following the COVID-19 Vaccination Phase Guidance, but if they don’t, it is outside of our influence. We do plan on reaching out to our community health care partners soon and beginning to have online meetings with them to better coordinate our overall response. Again, though, how they ultimately chose to utilize their vaccine will be up to them.
On a very positive note, we ended last week with no deaths the last couple of days. We start this week with no known COVID-19 deaths in our district. Also, we began last week with 115 new cases, today, 84. However, we have 1,043 active cases today compared with 795 last Sunday; and, we have 67 hospitalized cases today compared to 63 last Sunday. For our district, we had our largest 7-day incidence rate per 100,000 last week on Friday, a little over 103 new cases per day (a little more than 1 per 1,000 per day). Finally, our district’s ICU capacity is stretched very thin. So, let’s all 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 15,456 cumulative confirmed cases and there have been 304,712 confirmed COVID-19 cases across all 120 Kentucky Counties as of today (this includes 303,625 statewide plus 1,087 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 with positive cases when ready to be released. 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. Finally, we are working with all community partners regarding vaccination planning.
COVID-19 Vaccination Update
LCDHD is currently operating in Phase 1a of our COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan. This includes vaccines for healthcare workers and first responders. We are not pre-registering for future vaccination phases at this time, as vaccines are not readily available. Please follow this website and the LCDHD social media sites such as Facebook for details about future vaccine availability once additional vaccine is received. Also, don’t forget about the contract with Walgreens and CVS pharmacies to vaccinate the long-term care facilities and personal care homes — residents and staff.
