Lawrence County Confirms 9 More COVID-19 Deaths

The Lawrence County Health Department is confirming another 9 deaths from COVID-19, bringing the total to 15 deaths in that jurisdiction.

In a statement, the LCHD confirmed that these most recent fatalities were associated with individuals in long-term care that had underlying health conditions further complicated by COVID-19.

"These announcements are always difficult to make and we send our sincere condolences to the family and friends of these loved ones," said Tana Bradshaw, a health educator with the LCHD.

Some information had been circulating in the community regarding the most recent deaths prior to this confirmation, and the LCHD statement wished to clarify the delay in confirmation.

"Please understand it is never our intention to keep this information secret," said Bradshaw. "We have specific procedures in place we have to follow to ensure everything is done properly and it can cause a delay."

Lawrence County currently has 129 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in isolation, with a total of 824 confirmed cases since the pandemic began earlier this year. The LCHD wants to remind the public to take steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and avoid further infections and potential deaths.

"We ask the public not to forget we are still in the midst of a pandemic and to continue taking precautions," said Bradshaw.