Madison County Health Department explains large COVID death number

RICHMOND, Ky. (WTVQ) – Gov. Andy Beshear’s announcement Thursday of six COVID-19-related deaths in Madison County caused a bit of a stir among some members of the community.

It’s not the first time a big number in one day has rattled communities. It’s happened in Fayette County, among others.

But in those cases, the big one-day number is a compilation of cases over a period of time.

“While these deaths were reported on one day, that does not mean the deaths occurred on one day,” Madison County Public Health Director Nancy Crewe said. “Our thoughts are with these families during this difficult time of loss.”

When deaths occur, the local and state epidemiology teams review the causes to determine whether the deaths meet federal guidelines to be COVID related. That process can take time. For that reason, several deaths that may have occurred over a period of weeks can be reported on the same day.