Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Six additional deaths to virus last week

— With the ongoing spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant, last week, Harlan County recorded the 4th highest weekly case total since the pandemic began. Through Monday, the health department has reported 366 cases of COVID-19 this month.

Last week, 153 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Harlan County, compared to 90 the previous week. Monday, 30 new cases were reported.

Our total case count stands at 3,392 through Monday. There are 169 active cases currently in Harlan County. There are currently 14 Harlan Countians hospitalized with COVID-19 at 4 different hospitals. 3 of the hospitalized individuals are in Intensive Care (ICU). Approximately 2,700 Harlan Countians have recovered from the virus.

Here are some important statistics you need to know about Harlan County cases during the period of August 1st-Aug. 20:

• 306 cases during this timeframe

• 288 were unvaccinated

• 18 were vaccinated

• Of the 18 that were Vaccinated, only 1 required hospitalization, and that individual has already recovered.

• Three of the 306 cases were COVID-19 re-infections (people who had previously had COVID-19).

• 73 of the total cases so far this month through today, have been people 18 or younger, roughly 20% of all cases.
Sadly, last week we lost six more Harlan Countians to this virus. Three of the six were under 50 years old. This brings our death toll to 102 Harlan Countians lost to COVID-19. Please remember these families in your prayers as they grieve the loss of their loved ones. Our mortality rate is 3.01%. The state’s mortality rate is 1.39%. The nation’s mortality rate is 1.66%.

COVID-19 vaccines are available for anyone 12 and older. Vaccines are available locally at Harlan ARH, MCHC, Walgreens, Harlan County Health Department, Clover Fork Clinic, and Wal-Mart.

If you need transportation to get a vaccine, call 573-5335 to speak with Harlan County CAA.

More than 2.4 million people in Kentucky have received at least one dose of the vaccine. So far, 2,476,420 people have received at least a first dose of the vaccine in Kentucky up nearly 57,000 from last Monday. This represents 56% of the entire state population that has been vaccinated.

In Harlan County, as of Monday, 9,853 people have received at least one dose of the vaccine, up 267 from last Monday. That represents 36.31% of the entire population. 9,444 have been people 18 and older. 2,828 of the total vaccinated have been people 65 and older.

Harlan County returned to the red category in the state incidence rate map four weeks ago. Our incidence rate is currently 84.0. As of today, all but one county in the state is in the red category.

The state announced 2,596 new cases in Kentucky Monday which brings Kentucky’s total cases to 543,031. The state’s death total from COVID-19 is now at 7,558. The state’s positivity rate currently sits at 12.87%. The United States death toll from COVID-19 is now over 629,100, up nearly 7,000 people since last Monday.

I will provide another update next Monday evening. As always, you can refer to the Harlan County Health Department page for the daily case numbers.

Please remember to keep folks dealing with this virus in your thoughts and prayers.

Have a great week!

Dan Mosley
Judge/Executive
#harlancountystrong