Edmonson Sees Increased Number of Active COVID Cases This Week

Darren Doyle, story:
The number of active COVID cases in Edmonson County rose by 9 since last Friday's coronavirus report. Currently, according to data provided from the Barren River District Health Department, there are 41 active COVID cases in Edmonson County, up from 32 last week. 

Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have not only reported total number of cases, but also tried to focus on the active number of cases, which is a better representation of the current pandemic in Edmonson County. While 41 cases is the highest number of active cases the county has seen, it is still the lowest number of actives cases in the entire Barren River Health District. 

Statewide, Edmonson County ranks 98th out of 120 counties in total number of cases with 262 from the start of the pandemic.

Deaths reported from the virus have been unchanged since July. 

Edmonson County Schools announced today that they will be suspending in-person classes beginning on Wednesday, November 18, 2020. According to Superintendent of Schools Brian Alexander, there are only 8 active student COVID cases in the school system; however, 90 students are currently quarantined. In addition, there are also 8 positive cases from school staff, teachers, administration, and transportation, with another 21 quarantined. 

In an earlier statement, Superintendent Alexander said that the virus is not spreading at school as a result of health and safety measures being taken.

"The problems and the spread is not coming from Edmonson County Schools," he said earlier. "We are cooperating with Barren River Health Department in quarantining students that are exposed to positive cases in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our schools.  Virtually all the students that we quarantine fail to contract the virus, yet we are doing everything we are asked to do because we want to be a positive part of our community when it comes to helping in the prevent of the spread of COVID-19 in Edmonson County.  The students and parents involved in quarantine situations have been cooperative and we thank them for doing so."

While Alexander is still confident that schools are safe for students, the recent rise in the incidence rate prompted the school system to make the decision to postpone in-person classes.

"Edmonson County is now a RED county, with an expected spike in the incidence rate in the coming days," he said in a statement today. "This has led to a great number of staff positive and quarantine cases related to COVID.  We have been forced to make the decision that starting Wednesday, November 18, 2020, through December 4, 2020, Edmonson County Schools will suspend In-Person learning due to complications stemming from COVID-19 and institute NTI at-home learning during this time period for students on the staggered schedule."

Today's county incidence rate is 25.9, which puts Edmonson in the state's "red zone." The rate is figured on a 7-day average of new cases per 100,000 people, which can be confusing. We have received dozens of calls, messages, and emails from readers that have asked if the incidence rate is total percentage of COVID cases in the county, which isn't the case. That is why we also report on active case numbers and compare that with the total population of the county (12,062), meaning that according to current numbers, .03% of the county's population, (one third of one percent) is currently reported to have a positive COVID case. 
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On Thursday, the Kentucky Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Governor Andy Beshear's executive orders in relation to the pandemic are legal.

The court ruled that Beshear properly declared a state of emergency in March which allowed him to use that authority under the state constitution.

Churches are not required to follow mass gathering or other attendance mandates, as ruled by a federal court in July of this year.