The Green River District Health Department said Tuesday at a joint press conference, that they fully expect to see the coronavirus in Daviess County, and that the community should not be surprised when it happens.
Health Department Director Clay Horton said the COVID-19 situation is the health department’s primary focus at this time. Along with others who spoke at the podium, Horton confirmed that no COVID-19 cases had been confirmed in Daviess County, but that the coronavirus would, at some point, hit the local area.
“Every time I say [there are no confirmed cases here], I make sure I mention that we do expect cases, and we are ready for cases when those appear,” he said. “We ask everybody in the community to do the same — do not be surprised by positive cases, and be ready for that.”
Horton said the health department will take action when positive cases inevitably cross the line into Daviess County.
“We will respond. We will be doing contact investigations, making sure we’re following up with those individuals, find out who they had contacts with, and then following up with those individuals to see what the risks are, and then we’ll make the appropriate recommendations,” Horton said.
Those recommendations could range from monitoring to self-isolation or self-quarantine, Horton said. Some cases may have to be turned over to Owensboro Health for further evaluation, he added.
“Risk communication” will be a heavy focus for the health department as they work to reinforce messages from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding social distancing, hand-washing, avoiding large crowds and more.
Though Horton agrees with others who say the coronavirus shouldn’t cause panic across Daviess County, he did say the virus should be taken seriously, by everybody.
“These social distancing strategies, the cancellation of group activities — these will have an impact on slowing the spread of COVID-19, and they will protect our community,” he said. “What’s important is that we get everybody to buy into those strategies. Everyone has to realize that these recommendations mean ‘them,’ and everybody has their part in protecting themselves, protecting their families and protecting their community by following those.”
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The Owensboro Health coronavirus hotline is available 24/7 by calling 877-888-6647. Call the hotline before seeking in-person care. More information from OH can be found here.
For the latest information and data on COVID-19 in Kentucky visit kycovid19.ky.gov or dial the Kentucky state hotline at 800-722-5725.
For the latest health guidelines and resources from the CDC, visit their website here.
