More employees of Western State Hospital have tested positive for COVID-19, Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday in his daily briefing on the coronavirus.
Ten employees are known to have the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus. That’s up from seven reported on Wednesday at the state psychiatric hospital on U.S. 68 on the east side of Hopkinsville.
Nine patients have tested positive for COVID-19, and two have died. Both of the patients who died were older and had underlying health conditions, local health officials said.
As of Thursday afternoon, Christian County had 40 active, confirmed cases of COVID-19, the local health department reported.
Thirteen people who had tested positive for COVID-19 have recovered.
Three deaths from COVID-19 were reported Wednesday, including the two patients from WSH. No new deaths in Christian County were reported on Thursday.
The number of local cases by age group are:
- Pediatric (0-21): 3
- Young Adult-Middle Age (22-59): 33
- Older Adult (60-84): 17
- Elderly (85+): 3
The governor reported that six more people have died of COVID-19, including two linked to a church revival in Hopkins County. The total who have died in Kentucky during the pandemic is 79.
There were 134 new cases Thursday, for a total of 1,452. Twelve of the new cases are in Hopkins County.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. She spent 30 years as a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition.
