The COVID-19 pandemic continues to see new cases reported at an alarming rate in Clinton County, the immediate region, across Kentucky and the nation, according to reports released during the past week.

Since last Tuesday afternoon, the Lake Cumberland District Health Department (LCDHD) has reported nine new confirmed positive cases in Clinton County, with four previous cases being released as “recovered” during the same time span.

As of Monday afternoon’s report of this week, Clinton County had seen a total of 30 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began in Kentucky back in March, with 17 recovered cases.

As of Monday, all but one of Clinton County’s 13 current cases were self-isolated, with one case continuing to be hospitalized in an out-of-county location, according to reports.

While Clinton County’s case numbers have been relatively consistent during the past week, neighboring Cumberland County has become a hot spot for new cases.

After going several weeks with no reported cases, then just a handful, Cumberland County in the past week or two has seen its case number skyrocket.

In Monday’s report of this week, Cumberland County had 25 active cases of COVID-19.

In fact, the Cumberland County numbers of COVID-19 were so high, that an article appearing in Sunday’s Lexington Herald-Leader, pointed out that the county had the third highest number of cases per capita in the entire state.

According to those figures released for that article furnished by Kentucky Department of Public Health and the U.S. Census Bureau, Cumberland County’s then 24 active cases computed to an active rate of 362.9.

That figure, based on the county’s population of 6,614, trailed only Oldham County with an active rate of 582.3, and Hickman County with an active rate of 548

As of Monday, Cumberland County has reported a total of 54 cases since the pandemic began, with 29 recovered cases to date.

Monday’s LCDHD brief report also noted that across the 10 county district, that day’s numbers had been the third highest for new cases since the agency began keeping up with the case count in March.

Monday’s report noted that 42 new cases had been added to the tally across the district, with most of those new cases being reported in Pulaski County, where 13 new cases were listed, all of which were self-isolated.

Pulaski County leads the district in current cases with 91 as of Monday, four of which were hospitalized.

Casey County, with six new cases reported on Monday, currently has 45 cases, two of which were hospitalized, followed by Taylor County with 35, four hospitalized, Adair County with 24 cases, one of which was hospitalized.

Additional district cases included 19 self-isolated in Russell, 11 self-isolated in Wayne and eight, each self-isolated, in both Green and McCreary.

The district, as of Monday, reported having 279 active cases of COVID-19, up from the 230 active cases in the brief totals from the previous Monday afternoon.

Across the district, 40 people have died as a result of having contracted COVID-19, with Adair County posting 19 deaths, followed by Casey with 10.

Neither Clinton County nor Cumberland County has reported any deaths thusfar due to the COVID-19 virus.

Part of the blame for the sharp increase in cases across the LCDHD area was placed on area citizens who were becoming more and more lax about wearing masks or face coverings, as was pointed out in the brief press release by spokesperson Amy Tomlinson.

“This was our third highest day of new cases since the onset of the outbreak. Our hospitalizations have returned to twelve. After several days of significant facial covering compliance, it seems several businesses and citizens are once again becoming complacent,” Tomlinson said. “Our citizens can be our biggest asset in slowing the spread of this disease. Please don’t forget the guidance. Everyone should continue to wear their face coverings, avoid crowds as much as possible, social distance, wash their hands frequently, increase sanitation, and avoid the touching of their faces.”

Tomlinson also said that the task of completing contact tracing after new COVID-19 cases was becoming more and more challenging as case numbers increased, but noted that the agency was doing its best to meet that challenge.

“The LCDHD is working tirelessly, including nights and weekends, to identify and contact all those with whom any positive case may have come into close contact, and to follow-up daily with positive cases,” Tomlinson said. “Additionally, we are striving diligently to follow-up on business-related complaints regarding noncompliance with the Governor’s Executive Orders.”