The state’s database on coronavirus in long-term care and congregate facilities indicates an outbreak among residents of a local nursing home. The report, updated Friday, showed 17 active cases of COVID-19 among residents of the Christian Health Center in Hopkinsville. There were five active cases among staff members of the facility.
Staff members of two other nursing homes in Christian County were also listed Friday as active for the virus. There were two staff members at Covington’s Convalescent Center and one at Western State Nursing Facility.
The database, which also reports cases at Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities facilities, listed several pending tests and two active staff cases at Western State Hospital, which is separate from the nursing facility. There are six pending patient tests and three pending staff tests, according to the report dated Aug. 28.
County reports 12 new cases Friday, urges residents to follow guidelines during holiday weekend
Meanwhile, the Christian County Health Department reported 12 new coronavirus cases on Friday, pushing the total number of local cases confirmed since the pandemic began to 919. The total includes 226 active cases, in addition to 679 classified as recovered. The county reported the 14th virus-related death on Monday.
Heading into the Labor Day holiday weekend, which includes the running of the postponed Kentucky Derby on Saturday, local and state health officials are pleading with Kentuckians to avoid large gatherings and other unsafe activities that could produce a spike in coronavirus cases.
“Please, please, please wear your masks,” County Health Director Kayla Bebout said Wednesday in a teleconference. She also stressed social distancing and frequent hand-washing.
In a video released Friday, Gov. Andy Beshear said, “I know this is a big weekend: Derby weekend, even though it’s September, and Labor Day weekend. Traditionally, we’d get together with a lot of people over this weekend. This year, I need you to do it a little differently. Just this one time, probably in your entire life, please keep your gatherings small, 10 people or fewer.
“We’re trying to keep our businesses open and get our economy to bounce back. We’re going to get our kids back in school later this month. We’re trying to get high school sports up and going and keep them going. So we really need you to help us on all the other things like wearing a mask, washing your hands frequently and social distancing.”
As of Friday, the number of confirmed, active cases by age group in Christian County were:
- Youth (0-21): 60
- Young Adult-Middle Age (22-59): 124
- Older Adult (60-84): 33
- Elderly (85+): 9
Julia Hunter, webmaster for Hoptown Chronicle, contributed the this report.
(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. 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.
