Health

Medical professionals are warning that outbreaks of influenza amid the coronavirus pandemic could overwhelm physicians’ offices and hospitals because the flu and COVID-19 share many of the same symptoms.

With many Kentuckians ignoring the mask mandate and social-distancing guidance, which is difficult to enforce, health officials say contact tracing is the actionable thing health departments can do to fight the virus without a vaccine.

The county also confirmed 15 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Thursday, pushing the total number of local cases confirmed since the pandemic began to 864.

Coronavirus can spread rapidly through a long-term care facility and is especially deadly because of residents’ health conditions and age.

As of Sunday, the county's positivity rate in August was 10.53%, more than twice the state rate based on weekly data the governor's office provides.

As of Tuesday, the county's case total was 839, including 227 active cases.

The number of active cases dropped to 220, the lowest it has been in nearly two weeks.

The new seven-day rolling average of 636 is the eighth highest of the pandemic.

The number of local cases classified by the health department as active reached a new high of 265.

The new cases pushed the county's total to 809 with 256 active cases.

Churchill Downs had planned to run the Derby with 40% crowd capacity, but track officials decided they couldn't responsibly bring fans onto the property. The race will go on Sept. 5 without spectators.

As of Friday afternoon, 243 local COVID-19 cases were classified by the health department as active.