KCTCS posting positive COVID cases on website

Paducah, KY (09/09/2020) — The Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) is posting on its website positive COVID-19 from all of its 16 colleges, including West Kentucky Community and Technical College (WKCTC). Information is broken out by college, on-campus students and on-campus employees.

Since classes began on August 17th, WKCTC has been notified of four WKCTC students who tested positive for COVID-19, three of whom were on campus and one who is an online student. Per KCTCS protocol, our Healthy at Work officer, Bridget Canter, notified the Graves County Health Department and the Purchase District Health Department regarding the respective cases. The health departments, by executive order from the Governor, serve as the lead and legal authority in responding to individuals affected and if needed in contacting individuals who have had exposure significant enough to warrant action.

"It is important to note that by following the college's Healthy at WKCTC protocols (wearing masks, staying six-foot apart and increasing cleaning of heavily used areas), the health departments have stated the risk of exposure has been minimized," WKCTC President Anton Reece said. "The college is committed to transparency in communicating information related to COVID-19, although specific information about individuals who test positive cannot be released."

KCTCS will update positive cases on the dashboard every Tuesday and Friday at https://kctcs.edu/healthy-at-kctcs/covid-dashboard.aspx . Tuesday numbers include cases from Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Friday numbers include cases from Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The data included in the KCTCS dashboard reflects self-reported cases to college Healthy at Work Officers or notification from local health departments. Numbers may vary from other reporting entities.

KCTCS is the state's largest provider of higher education in Kentucky. The system has more than 70 campuses and approximately 8,500 employees statewide. The dashboard can also be found on the Healthy at WKCTC web page.

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The Kentucky Community and Technical College System is the Commonwealth's largest postsecondary institution with 16 colleges and more than 70 campuses. We also are Kentucky's largest provider of workforce training and online education. Through partnerships with business and industry, we align our programs to meet the needs of local employers. Our colleges are united in their commitment to making life better for our students, communities and the citizens of Kentucky. Since our creation, we have served nearly one million Kentuckians.