COVID-19 UPDATE
In one week McCreary County’s cases of COVID-19 expanded from one to five and numbers may continue to rise as testing availability is being increased.
According to the latest data from the Lake Cumberland District Health Department McCreary County has five cases, with two of the patients released from isolation as they have apparently recovered from the virus. The other three cases, all reported in the last five days, are under self-isolation.
In the 10-county area covered by the LCDHD there is at least one case in every county as of this week, with the majority occurring in Pulaski County. A total of 53 cases and 2 deaths are reported by the LCDHD. Of those, 16 individuals have been released from isolation, 28 are self isolated, 7 are hospitalized and there are two reported deaths associated – one from Pulaski and another from Adair.
In the LCDHD daily public information brief, officials say they believe the virus to be widespread in the region, and are continuing to investigate cases to determine who the infected individuals came in to contact with to notify them.
Statewide KYCOVID-19.com reports 1,149 positive cases in Kentucky with 65 total deaths.
During Governor Andy Beshear’s daily briefing Tuesday it was reported that testing capacity has increased, but there still are not enough materials to go around.
Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner for the Department for Public Health, said the effort by the state was ramping up to do 2,000 tests a day. However, he said the availability of swabs and testing materials continues to be a roadblock to wider tests.
“These tests are not for everybody. We want to make testing available for everyone who needs it and we don’t have enough testing available,” Dr. Stack said. “So in a world where resources are limited, we have to deploy a scarce resource to a greater good.”
He said he supported hospitals that decide not to administer some tests.
“If you go to hospital to get a test and they tell you that you don’t qualify, I support the hospitals in their decision-making,” he said.
Tennessee has seen 4,138 positive cases and 72 deaths. Nearby Scott County has reported 4 cases.
Nationwide totals as of Wednesday morning show 401,636 cases and 12,905 deaths. 22,476 people have reportedly recovered from the virus.
