Caution urged through the long holiday weekend
Lewis County Health Director Anita Bertram said Lewis County is now at 191 total confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 62 of those currently active.
An outbreak at Vanceburg Rehabilitation and Care announced August 1 accounts for 112 of the reported cases.
Bertram said 77 in-house residents and 35 staff members at the facility have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Saturday afternoon.
“I have heard all kinds of things. That COVID is not real; That it’ll be over from when the election is here; That it’s a hoax,” Bertram said. “Unfortunately, we at the health department have seen first-hand what COVID can do to folks and their families.
“My concerns are that this is Labor Day Weekend, and I know how people want to get together and visit with friends and family, but anytime there is a gathering of people, there is a good chance COVID will be there too,” she said.
“We’ve seen outbreaks in several churches in Lewis County, we have seen outbreaks from funerals in Lewis County, and in a Lewis County factory,” she said. “The largest outbreak, of course, is at Vanceburg Rehabilitation and Care.”
“It is our job at the health department to let people know the risks and ensure you understand you could make other people sick if you have the virus,” she said.
“The health department’s position is to try to stop the spread of COVID,” Bertram added. “It is real and it is here.”
Bertram said 30 of the residents and 29 of the employees at Vanceburg Rehabilitation and Care have now been reported as recovered.
Active reported cases at the facility now total 39 while there are 23 active reported cases in the community.
She said health department workers are making contact investigations and follow-ups with the latest cases including those at the nursing facility.
Bertram said there are 14 COVID-19 related deaths in Lewis County, adding that all were residents of Vanceburg Nursing and Rehabilitation.
Details about the individuals will not be provided because of medical privacy laws.
Lewis County residents may dial 606-202-8600 for more information on COVID-19. The state hotline is 800-722-5725.
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