 Following the holidays, COVID-19 cases continue to climb as Omicron continues to prove dominant across Pike County. In response to the latest increase, Mountaintop spoke with Pike County Health Director Tammy Riley about the virus and how we can protect ourselves amid the surge. Well, we're all talking about Omicron and how it's highly transmissible, it moves quicker, incubation is a little quicker, and additionally, you know, we went through the holidays, so we had a lot of social and group gatherings that were mostly intimate indoors, so we likely are seeing an increase in case due to the holiday get-togethers and in all likelihood that we're seeing the beginning of an Omicron increase in Pike County. Since last month, Pike County's positivity rate has increased to 16 percent, while cases have nearly doubled from 314 to 516 active. With Omicron, we're looking at, for every one, 15 to 18 individuals, more like the measles, highly transmissible, but what experts are relying to public health in the state, in the country, and I'm even hearing here locally, is that children or younger individuals are getting slightly more ill than they did with Delta and Alpha. Again, Omicron is showing to be less severe for a disease state, but it moves quicker and it's, you know, more highly transmissible and still could have an impact on our healthcare system. In 2012, Eastern Kentucky was devastated by tornadoes. Within days, people in Western Kentucky stepped up to help the people of our region. Pikeville Medical Center is a Christian organization committed to helping others, and that includes our neighbors in Western Kentucky. Our commitment goes far beyond those who come to our hospital for treatment. That sentiment is echoed from all of us at Double Quick. The need is great right now in Western Kentucky, and we know the people of Eastern Kentucky are ready and willing to help. During the season I'm giving, please consider donating to those who have found themselves with nothing, just days before Christmas. In-person donations can be made to all Pikeville Medical Center facilities and the register at all Double Quick locations. To donate online, go to www.givetopmc.org. Even while cases of Omicron are increasing, the CDC has updated the guidances relating to those in quarantine. Riley adds some of those changes. If you're sick, you know, best practice is always to stay home. So the Kentucky Department of Public Health continues to recommend as a best practice, you know, stay home, isolate and quarantine for 10 days. The CDC did shorten the potential for quarantine, but only if individuals would be completely free of symptoms after five days. And then those additional five days would be with 100% compliance with a mask. And you know, obviously if you were not going to be around others who would be at high risk, you know, immunocompromised. As part of finding the Omicron variant, the Pike County Health Department recommends individuals to be caught up with their booster shots and to get vaccinated. Riley also reminds those safe hygiene practices such as washing hands and socially distancing. To get a booster or to get vaccinated, you can call the Pike County Health Department at 606-437-5500. For Mountain Top News, I'm Joel Korjol.