COVID update: 82 new cases Wednesday puts Nelson among top 7 worst counties
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020 7 p.m. — Nelson County recorded the second-highest new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, the day after the county set its record for new cases on Tuesday.
Nelson County had 82 new COVID-19 cases reported Wednesday by the Lincoln Trail Health Department.
The new cases now top 1,000, with the new cases bringing the total to 1,008 cases. Two county residents remain hospitalized, and 294 people are quarantining at home. 708 people have completed quarantine are are no longer being monitored.
- Editor’s Note: This story will be updated with the age and sex of the county’s new COVID cases when that data becomes available.
Nelson County’s Wednesday COVID-19 new case total makes the county one of the state’s top seven as far as new cases go, and keeps the county solidly “red” on the state incidence map (see below).
The incidence map figures cases per 100,000 population; to be rated as a “red county” like Nelson County, the county must have a 7-day average number of new cases at a rate of more than 25 new cases per 100,000. As of Wednesday, Oct. 28, the county’s 7-day average was 62.1 new daily cases.
GOVERNOR’S COMMENTS. In his Wednesday COVID-19 press conference, Gov. Andy Beshear called on the community leaders, schools, businesses and families listed in red counties to follow the state’s new recommendations to stop the spread of COVID-19 in their communities.
“It takes an entire community to protect the most vulnerable, to keep our schools open and to keep our economy running,” said Gov. Beshear. “What we need to see is that when a county hits red, everybody comes together in a coordinated effort.”
When a county gets out of the red zone, schools can reopen, businesses have more flexibility, nursing homes can accommodate visitors and Kentuckians are able to enjoy more activities with loved ones. Most important, fewer people get sick or die from COVID-19.
“This will not just protect nameless, faceless people somewhere in Kentucky. It will protect the people you see every day,” Beshear said.
Dr. Steven Stack, the state commissioner of public health, said the incidence rate map is the worst it has looked since the start of the pandemic.
“Every indication would suggest that it’s going to get worse before it gets better,” he said. “This is a human problem. A global problem. Everyone wants it to be over. But if we get cavalier about it, it’s like being at a casino – the house always wins. The virus is the house. When everyone flaunts the guidelines, they don’t work.”
With 1,864 new cases reported statewide, the state’s positivity rating is 6.07 percent, Beshear reported Wednesday.
Long-term care facilities in red counties like Nelson County are required to administer COVID tests twice a week to residents and staff. Those in orange counties are tested weekly.
LINCOLN TRAIL DISTRICT. The Lincoln Trail District had a total of 244 new cases reported Wednesday, with all six counties in the district reporting double-digit new cases.
Twenty-two people in the district are currently hospitalized, and 1,032 people are quarantining at home. Thirty-eight people have died due to the virus, according to Lincoln Trail Health Department statistics.
MARION COUNTY. Marion County recorded 28 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the county total to 505 cases. Of that total, 151 people are quarantining at home, while 340 people have cleared quarantine and are no longer being monitored. Eleven county residents have died due to the virus. Three county residents are hospitalized for treatment of the virus.
WASHINGTON COUNTY. Washington County reported 21 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday by the district health department, bringing the county’s total number of cases to 257. Sixty-seven people are currently quarantining at home, and two county residents are hospitalized for treatment of the virus. The county has recorded two COVID-related deaths.
LARUE COUNTY. LaRue County had 13 new COVID-19 cases reported Wednesday by the Lincoln Trail District Health Department. The new cases bring the county’s total to 320 cases, with 57 people quarantining at home, and 259 people who have completed quarantine and are no longer being monitored. The county has recorded 2 COVID-related deaths.
HARDIN COUNTY. Hardin County had 86 new COVID-19 cases reported Wednesday by the district health department, bringing the county’s total to 2,056, with 389 people currently quarantining at home. Of the county’s total cases, 1,639 people are out of quarantine and no longer being monitored. The county has recorded 16 COVID-related deaths.
MEADE COUNTY. Fourteen new COVID-19 cases were reported in Meade County Wednesday, bringing the county’s total cases to 438. One county resident is currently hospitalized for treatment of the virus, while 73 are currently quarantined at home. Three hundred and sixty of the county’s 438 cases have completed quarantine and are no longer being monitored. The county has recorded 4 COVID-related deaths.
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