County health officials are urging residents to take the threat of COVID-19 seriously as the economy reopens and more people are exposed to a potential infection.
“With additional social gatherings across the community including graduation celebrations, birthday parties, summer activities, summer holidays, protests, and the general exposure between individuals as Kentucky opens and residents return to work, a rise in cases is expected,” Christian County Health Department spokesman Amanda Sweeney said in a news release.
Residents should practice social distancing, wash their hands frequently, wear a face mask and get tested for the coronavirus, she said.
Free testing is available fro 9 to 11 a.m. Monday through Friday at Tie Breaker Park off LaFayette Road.
At least 4,103 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in the county. That includes 2,284 by the health department and 1,819 by Jennie Stuart. Additional testing has been done through local physicians’ offices and medical clinics, but those numbers are not being reported.
As of Tuesday afternoon, 148 cases have been confirmed in Christian County, which includes 33 active cases, 112 recovered and three deaths.
The number of confirmed cases by age group since the start of the pandemic are:
- Pediatric (0-21): 12
- Young Adult-Middle Age (22-59): 100
- Older Adult (60-84): 33
- Elderly (85+): 3
Jennie Stuart Medical Center was treating seven patients Tuesday who have tested positive for COVID-19.
“The county is seeing an increased number of cases in our community with more than 20 new cases reported the week of May 31,” Sweeney said. “Christian County has not seen an increase like this since the week of April 15 when health professionals tracked an outbreak in one of our community facilities. The increased cases during the week of May 31 are not within one facility but can be traced back to various connections across the community.”
(Jennifer P. Brown is the editor and founder of Hoptown Chronicle. Reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org.)
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
