Clinton County had its hardest hit week yet during this COVID-19 pandemic, with the announcement of the first death caused directly by infection from the virus.

In announcements on Saturday, both Clinton County Judge/Executive Ricky Craig and the Lake Cumberland District Health Department, as well as Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, announced that it had been reported that Clinton County had suffered its first COVID-19 related death.

Identification of the patient was not made, but it was noted that the death was an 82 year-old Clinton County female resident.

In making the announcement of the county’s first COVID-19 related death, Craig asked the county to keep the family in their prayers.

In his announcement on Saturday, Governor Beshear noted that the Clinton County death was one of several being reported across the Commonwealth that day.

“The deaths reported Saturday include a 64-year-old woman from Fulton County; a 56-year-old woman from Kenton County; a 68-year-old man from Bell County; a 93-year-old man from Christian County; a 97-year-old woman, also from Christian County; a 66-year-old woman from Pulaski County; an 82-year-old woman from Clinton County, and a 73-year-old woman from Muhlenberg County,” Beshear reported in his daily press release.

Last week’s death also capped one of the worst COVID-19 weeks for Clinton County since the pandemic began back in March.

Since last Tuesday, 11 new cases were added to the Clinton County tally by the LCDHD, including one that involved a five-year-old child.

The case involving the five-year-old was reported on Wednesday when Judge/Executive Craig informed the Clinton County News that the case had previously been listed as a case from Wayne County, but health department officials had confirmed to him that the patient actually was a Clinton County resident.

During that same week period, LCDHD officials reported that seven cases had been released and were now considered to be classified as “recovered” cases.

At one point, Clinton County had two cases listed as being hospitalized. The death of the hospitalized patient was reclassified as one of the county’s total cases.

One other case that had previously been listed as hospitalized has been moved out of that classification.

Tuesday morning, Clinton County had 13 current cases and has seen 41 total cases, 27 of which are listed as being recovered.

Other reports from across the 10 county LCDHD area shows: Pulaski County with 72 current cases, two of which are hospitalized; Taylor County with 32 cases, two of which are hospitalized; Russell County with 31 cases, one hospitalized; Adair with 27 cases, two hospitalized; Casey with 19 cases, one hospitalized; Wayne with 19, one hospitalized; Cumberland with 13 cases, all self-isolated; McCreary with 13 cases, all self-isolated; Green with eight cases, all self-isolated.

On Monday afternoon, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear held a briefing where he recommended that all Kentucky schools delay the beginning of in-person classes until September 28 .

Amy Tomlinson, spokesperson for the LCDHD, touched on that issue in the agency’s public information brief issued Monday afternoon.

“I just heard in the Governor’s Brief where he is recommending schools be postponed to in-person classes until the end of September. How many of our local school districts will follow this guidance, we will find out over the next few days,” Tomlinson said.. “Hopefully, a vaccine will be developed by early next calendar year and we can transition from a containment to a vaccination strategy. Like everyone else, we are anxious for things to return to normal.”

She also added that the public should continue to take the recommended safety measures that have been recommended in an effort to slow the spread of the virus through the region.

“Until then, please help us slow the spread of COVID-19 by wearing your face covering, avoiding crowds (especially in confined spaces), social distancing when around others, increasing your hand hygiene, increasing your general sanitation, and by avoiding the touching of your face,” she noted.