The COVID-19 pandemic continues to see case numbers climb dramatically in the Lake Cumberland area, according to the Lake Cumberland District Health Department, although Clinton County cases actually dropped over the past week.

The trend of new COVID-19 cases is also being seen across Kentucky, prompting Governor Andy Beshear on Friday to sign an executive order requiring citizens to wear a mask or face covering anytime they are out in the public.

Clinton County had two active cases confirmed according to the LCDHD daily information brief as recently as last Thursday.

At that time, a 75 year-old female, who was self-isolated and was not showing symptoms of the virus, or said to be “asymptomatic,” had been the newest case, added to Clinton County’s totals on Wednesday, July 8.

Clinton County’s case totals waerfe updated to a single case, a self-isolated patient, on Friday, July 10, and on Monday, that single case remained listed as a self-isolated, asymptomatic case here.

Across the 10 county Lake Cumberland District, the picture wasn’t nearly as positive, however, with the district totals reaching a new all-time high on Sunday, when it was reported that 208 active cases were being counted.

With cases continuing to rise across the LCDHD, Monday’s briefing reported 28 new cases with 17 released cases, bringing the total district-wide current case total to 218.

Monday’s case totals included 66 cases from Casey County, with two hospitalizations, followed by 41 in Pulaski County, 37 from Adair, 25 in Taylor, 20 in Russell, 12 in Wayne, nine in Green and seven in Cumberland County.

Across the 10 county district, six total cases involved patients who were hospitalized.

To date, the LCDHD area has reported a total of 628 positive cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began, with 379 cases being listed as recovered. There have been 31 deaths across the district as of Monday.

On Friday, the LCDHD reported its largest single day of new cases since the pandemic began early this year.

With 50 new cases being included in Friday’s totals, it was noted that an outbreak in a Casey County nursing home was the largest single reason for this latest spike in cases, with 29 new cases coming from that county alone.

In Sunday’s public information release, LCDHD spokesperson Amy Tomlinson explained how complaints regarding businesses being out of compliance with Governor Beshear’s orders would be handled.

“We have received many complaints this weekend about businesses being out-of-compliance with the Governor’s orders,” Tomlinson said in Sunday’s information briefing. “Our staff will give businesses one warning and then we will turn them over to the Department of Labor who has the authority, unlike the health department, to issue closure orders and assess fines.”

On Monday, State Senator Max Wise (Rep.- Campbellsville), who represents Clinton County in the Kentucky Senate as a part of the 16th District, reported that he had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

A separate article about Wise’s condition appears this week on page 1.