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Although Judge-Executive Dan Mosley announced six new cases on Monday that brought the total to 275, he said COVID-19 cases in Harlan County seem to have plateaued over the last couple of weeks.

“We want to continue to see a decline from where we are at today, but I feel like masks and social distancing precautions are helping,” he said.

The six new cases include a 39-year-old female, 27-year-old male, 68-year-old female, 37-year-old female, 46-year-old male and 51-year-old female, all of which are in quarantine.

There are 47 active cases and 223 cases that have recovered.

Five deaths have now been reported associated with the virus and five more are hospitalized.

As of 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 10:

— 4,495 tests have been conducted

— 4,208 tests have been negative

— 13 tests are currently pending.

Mosley said more than 16 percent of the county’s population has been tested since the pandemic began, with 6.1 percent testing positive.

“Gov. Andy Beshear announced today (Monday) he has recommended that in-person classes at schools not start until at least Sept. 28,” he said. “He stated that he felt that it was safer for all involved, including students, teachers and guardians, that classes not resume in person at this time due to Kentucky still seeing high numbers of COVID-19 cases.”

Mosley is encouraging locals to monitor for symptoms of COVID-19, such as fever, cough and loss of taste and/or smell.

“If we have those symptoms, we need to call our health care provider about getting tested or what level of care we need. If you are sick, please stay home,” he said.

A mask mandate is also in effect by Beshear. Mosley said if anyone needs a mask, call his office at 606-573-2600 and “we will gladly mail you one.”

Mosley said it is also important that businesses are conducting health screenings of employees when they arrive for work, including temperature checks.

“A business should never allow an employee who is exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms to work their shift and potentially infect others,” he said. “Healthy at Work guidelines can be viewed at healthyatwork.ky.gov. Protect your employees by following these guidelines and in turn you are protecting your customers and your community.”

He said the Health Department determines if a business needs to close for cleaning if an employee who works for the facility tests positive.

“Some businesses have voluntarily closed on their own out of an abundance of caution to clean. If you have questions or concerns about this, I would encourage you to speak directly with the health department,” he said.

To report non-compliance of COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines, Mosley said to call the Harlan County Health Department at 606-573-4820.

If you were a close contact of any of the positive cases, the Health Department will reach out to you directly as part of its contact tracing and will instruct you on what measures are necessary to protect you and your family.