Active COVID Cases Remain Steady In Edmonson With Only 11 Known Reported This Week

Area COVID-19 case information from the BRDHD Friday, Oct 2, 2020.

Darren Doyle, story:
Edmonson County remains steady in it's known active COVID-19 cases for another week as reported cases totaled 11 countywide, according to a report yesterday from the Barren River District Health Department. It is only an increase of one known case since last week.

Total number of known Edmonson cases dating back to March is 158, with 135 of those reported as recovered. Deaths have remained the same (12) for months, ten of which were reported from Edmonson Center. No new cases have been reported from residents at the facility since June. Active known cases are calculated by subtracting the sum of recoveries and deaths from the total known reported amount, (135+12=147. 158-147=11).

Edmonson County Schools began in-person instruction this past week. Superintendent of Schools Brian Alexander said things had gotten off to a positive start.

"We had a great week," he said. "From the transportation to everything going on in our schools, I'm very pleased and glad that our kids are getting back to school."

The staggered schedule, Mon/Weds for one group and Tues/Thurs for another group allows for small classroom sizes that permit students to social distance without having to wear a mask for the full school day. School policy for masks is centered around the phrase "If you move, you mask," which allows students the freedom to remove masks when sitting at a desk or anytime the opportunity is presented for students to safely social distance from others.

Governor Andy Beshear's mask mandate is set to expire next week, although language in the mandate states that it could be renewed. The executive order that was first announced on July 10th for the 30-day mask mandate has already been extended twice; first on August 6th, then again on September 7th. 

Kentucky's statewide cases have not consistently decreased since the mask mandate was put in place. The Governor has repeatedly stated that positive cases and deaths would be much higher without the mandate while others argue the mask mandate isn't contributing to the slow of the coronavirus spread.

On Friday, Governor Beshear announced 1,039 new positive reported cases in Kentucky. Friday's numbers were the second-highest single-day total since the beginning of the pandemic, and the third time this week Kentucky has had over 1,000 cases in a single day.