49 new COVID cases pushes Nelson County past 5,500, second highest in district
NC GAZETTE / WBRT RADIO
STAFF REPORT
Friday, Aug. 13, 2021 — In Thursday’s latest COVID-19 report from the Lincoln Trail District Health Department, Nelson County had the second-highest number of new COVID cases in the six-county district.
Nelson County reported 49 new COVID cases on Thursday, second only to Hardin County with 97 new cases on Thursday.
Nelson County currently has had a total of 5,553 cases, with 49 new cases and 374 active COVID cases still being tracked by the health department. The county has had 62 COVID-related deaths.
MARION COUNTY. Marion County had 21 new COVID cases reported Thursday by Lincoln Trail. The additional cases pushes Marion County’s total to 2,544 cases, with 131 of those being active. The county has had 40 COVID-related deaths.
WASHINGTON COUNTY. Washington County had 28 new cases on Thursday, making a total of 1,639 casts since the pandemic began. Of those, 131 cases are active and being monitored by the health department. The county has reported 40 COVID-related deaths.
LARUE COUNTY. LaRue County had 12 new COVID cases, for a total of 1,506 cases. Of that total, 98 are active and being tracked. The county has reported 28 COVID-related deaths.
MEADE COUNTY. Meade County has 7 new COVID cases reported Thursday, for a total of 2,380 cases. Of those, 108 cases are still active and being tracked. The county has had 27 COVID-related deaths.
HARDIN COUNTY. Hardin County reported 97 new cases Thursday for a total of 11,151 cases. Of those, 853 cases remain active and are being monintored by the health department. The county has had 175 COVID-related deaths.
HOW DO WE SLOW THE SPREAD OF COVID? ince August 1st, children ages 0-18 account for 21% of all new COVID-19 cases within the six-county Lincoln Trail District Health Department service area. Children ages 0-12 comprise 11% of cases, and rates in this age group are climbing. Therefore, as students return to school, layered prevention strategies must be used to break the chains of COVID-19 transmission. One proven strategy is the mask mandates implemented by the Kentucky Board of Education and Governor Beshear.
The scientific body of work that supports universal masking is undeniable. Masks are highly effective at preventing infected persons from exposing others to contagious infections.
“This is especially important since over 50% of COVID-19 cases are asymptomatic and may be unaware of their illness,”.
“I support masking in any indoor setting, but especially in situations where we know definitively that a large portion of the individuals are not vaccinated,” according to Sara Jo Best, the health department public health director.
“Masks have proven their value in decreasing transmission of both the flu and COVID-19. It makes sense to use every method of prevention we have at our disposal when cases are surging and our healthcare system is being stressed. I support any common sense strategy that protects the health and well-being of our community. I would also recommend that anyone that is eligible and has not received one of the COVID-19 vaccinations do so now.”
According to a recent study, vaccinated individuals are three times less likely to contract COVID-19 than those who have not received the vaccine. Current vaccination rates among individuals 12 and older within the Lincoln Trail district range between 38.1% to 56.1%, depending on the county of residence. Immunizing all eligible individuals helps build herd immunity and protects children who cannot be vaccinated due to their age. Vaccination remains the single best tool to change the course of this pandemic.
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