Since Sept. 3, the Bell County Health Department has reported just five new cases of the coronavirus.

Reports from the office of Bell County Health Department Director Teresa Hunter indicated that there were just two new cases on Sept. 3, no new cases on Sept. 4, and just one case each day on Sept. 5, Sept. 6, and Sept. 8. No new information has been released since Sept. 8 as of press time.

Bell County Judge-Executive Albey Brock said he is glad to hear the new numbers, but said people still need to be careful.

“I’m cautiously optimistic regarding the lower number of active COVID cases,” he said. “We can’t let our guard down, the virus is still here.”

With Labor Day weekend having just passed, Brock added, “I’m praying that the recent holiday doesn’t bring on a spike in cases.”

The county has a total of 423 cases since the pandemic arrived, and there are currently two Bell County residents hospitalized with the virus. Hunter reports that there are nine active individual cases, and 32 active cases in long-term residential care.

Bell County has reported 12 deaths as of Sept. 3, however, Gov. Andy Beshear announced on Wednesday that a 62-year-old Bell County man had died from the virus.