Christian County’s seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases reached a record high on Thursday of 20, following health officials’ announcement of 36 new cases and another virus-related death. Previously, the highest average was 17, which was reached for two days in mid-August.
Thursday’s total was the second-highest number of cases announced in a single day. The highest was June 25, when 43 cases were confirmed following an outbreak at a construction site for the Oak Grove horse track.
The death of a 96-year-old man marked the 18th local death attributed to the novel coronavirus, said Christian County Health Department spokeswoman Amanda Sweeney in a news release.
Although the health department does not release information regarding cases tied to local facilities, data compiled and made public by the state indicate the death was of a patient at Christian Health Center. The nursing and rehabilitation facility, which recently experienced an outbreak of the virus, listed a previously unreported death Thursday to the state, according to the Kentucky Department of Public Health’s Long-term Care Facility report.
The data indicate an outbreak at another local facility — Grace & Mercy substance abuse treatment facility. Grace and Mercy’s residential facility is on South Main Street. It also has a thrift store on Skyline Drive. Thursday’s report listed seven active resident cases and two active staff cases. See more data on local long-term care facilities here.
Christian County Public Schools’ cases grow
Christian County Public Schools also have experienced an uptick in cases. Since Tuesday, the number of people in the district under quarantine has doubled, while the number of positive cases has grown from 10 to 24.
District communications director John Rittenhouse announced Thursday that the entire Hopkinsville High School girls soccer team and the school’s cheerleading squad had been asked to quarantine after several students tested positive for COVID-19.
Also, Friday’s football game between Hopkinsville and Christian County high schools has been postponed because some players are quarantined.
Committee meeting canceled, City Hall closed for sanitizing
Thursday’s Committee of the Whole meeting at the Hopkinsville Municipal Center was canceled shortly before it was scheduled to begin.
“Someone that has been in the building has tested positive for COVID-19 and the building is closed for sanitizing,” City Clerk Crissy Fletcher said in an update to the media.
The city will attempt to reschedule the meeting for next week, Fletcher noted.
The municipal center will reopen on Friday, Nikki Durham, a spokeswoman in the mayor’s office, said in a news release.
“The public is reassured that guidelines from the city’s Healthy at Work reopening plan were in place for all employees and guests at the meeting,” Durham said. “Those guidelines include limiting in-person meeting capacity to 50%, mandatory temperature checks, use of face coverings, and additional facility cleanings. Also, the building is equipped with hand sanitizer stations and floor decals reminding all to practice social distancing.”
(Julia Hunter is the webmaster for Hoptown Chronicle. Reach her at Julia_Hunter622@hotmail.com.)
Julia Hunter is the engagement editor for Hoptown Chronicle. Reach her at julia@hoptownchronicle.org.
