The Grayson County Health Department (GCHD) has released a coronavirus update.
The health department said Tuesday afternoon that 45 new cases of the virus have been confirmed since the department’s last update on Friday afternoon. The newly reported cases increase Grayson County’s COVID-19 victim count to 797 since the onset of the pandemic (one case for every 33.9 residents).
Since October 27, the county has had 276 cases of the virus confirmed (13.8 per day), keeping Grayson County firmly in the “red zone,” indicating a “critical” spread of the virus, according to the Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH).
The 276 cases confirmed since October 27 represent 34.6 percent of the 797 total cases confirmed since the onset of the pandemic about eight months ago.
The GCHD said there are 116 people are “actively sick.”
Two new deaths were reported, raising Grayson County’s COVID-19 death toll to 22. In his initial update on Tuesday, GCHD Director Josh Embry reported one new death, but Embry told K105 he learned of a second death after the original announcement.
According to the KDPH, one of Grayson County’s new deaths is a 51-year-old man.
The GCHD said 660 (82.8 percent) people have recovered from the virus.
Health department announces changes to contact tracing
Due to a “massive increase in COVID-19 cases” in Grayson County, which is overtaxing the health departments ability to effectively conduct contact tracking, Embry announced the following changes to how the GCHD performs contact tracing, changes that are being instituted by health departments throughout Kentucky.
The department will continue to contact people who test positive for COVID-19, and provide isolation orders, Embry noted.
High priority
- In order the reach those most at risk in a timely manner, health officials will consider the following to be high priorities: healthcare workers, first responders, vulnerable populations/congregate settings, hospitalized patients, senior living facilities, prisons, and shelters.
Quarantining
- The GCHD can no longer ensure the public that they have the ability to reach out to every contact of a positive person. Therefore, if needed, health officials may ask positive people to contact their own contacts, and inform the person they need to quarantine. Materials will be offered to the positive person to share with his/her contacts.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
