Another week of extremely high numbers of new cases of COVID-19 within the Lake Cumberland District Health Department counties has once again caused the agency to alter the way it is reporting daily statistics to the media and the public.

In its most recent reports during the past week, the agency has now stopped reporting the number of cases that have been released on a county by county basis, noting only the total number of cases released within the district with each report.

“Due to the surge of COVID cases, LCDHD numbers are incomplete. Each day for the past couple of weeks, there have been many more cases reported than we are able to contact and work,” the most recent report noted in its final paragraph. “The numbers you are seeing in the report are the ones who were contacted/worked, but it represents a fraction of the true illness present in our communities.”

Monday’s report also explained the strain the agency is under in its efforts to complete the tasks of dealing with the constantly increasing numbers of new COVID-19 cases, as well as urging new patients to be patient and to follow the advice of their healthcare providers.

“Please bear with us as we continue to work our hardest to contact as many positive cases as we are able to reach,” the report noted. “We have prioritized our efforts to attempt to reach the most at-risk populations. If you are positive and have not been contacted, please follow the guidance from your provider or check our web page for current recommendations.”

The agency is continuing to report new cases in each county, or at least those new cases that involve patients who have been contacted by staff from LCDHD.

During the past seven day reporting period, the agency has noted that Clinton County has added 62 new patients to its COVID-19 numbers, with the highest single day being Monday when 18 new cases were added.

Across the entire 10 county district, the new case numbers were astonishing, however, with the agency reporting Monday evening that since its last report on Friday evening, there had been 642 new cases added across the district.

In addition to Clinton County’s 18 new cases reported on Monday, the case count included Adair 35; Casey 30; Cumberland 18; Green 8; McCreary 237; Pulaski 141; Russell 46; Taylor 45; and, Wayne 64.

The report further explained that the extreme number of new cases reported from McCreary County was the result of a backlog of cases that had been reported over the past week or so.

It was further explained that spikes in other county case numbers could be expected as LCDHD staff members continued to work to get caught up on the back-load of new case reports.

Vaccinations against COVID-19 continue to climb slowly among Clinton County residents.

According to the Cabinet for Public Health, there have been an additional 62 Clinton County residents who received a COVID-19 vaccine in the past week, bringing the number who have received at last one vaccine dose to 4,663.

As of Tuesday morning of this week, 45.44 percent of all Clinton County residents have been vaccinated, with 56 percent of residents 18 years old or older, or 4,474, who have received the vaccine.

As for residents who are 65 years old or older, 1,473 have been vaccinated, or 72.99 percent.

Vaccination numbers are not affected by patients who have received a second dose nor a booster dose of a vaccine.

Vaccinations against the virus are now readily available at several locations in Albany, including local pharmacies, and those seeking a vaccine are urged to call your favorite pharmacy for information.

Readers are also reminded that vaccines are free for everyone.

Vaccines are also now available again at the Clinton County Health Department.

Vaccination appointments through the Clinton County Health Department, or more information about the vaccines being offered and the vaccination dates and times, may be obtained by calling 606-387-5711.

The local health department is also now offering booster vaccines to those who are eligible.