16 new KY coronavirus cases found. Total is 103. Non-essential retailers must close.
Gov. Andy Beshear ordered all “non-essential” retail businesses in Kentucky to close to in-person traffic by 8 p.m. Monday as the number of COVID-19 cases in the state surpassed 100 on Sunday.
Beshear announced 16 new cases of the novel coronavirus in Kentucky, bringing the state’s total to 103. Of those, three have died.
Three of the new cases are in Fayette County, bringing the total in Lexington to 15. There were five new cases in Jefferson County, a 24-year-old man in Christian County, one in Hardin County, one in Henderson County and one in Northern Kentucky. The location of four new cases has not yet been reported.
Businesses that can remain open under Beshear’s latest directive include grocery stores, pharmacies, liquor stores, auto repair shops, pet stores, hardware stores and gas stations. His order will prohibit in-person traffic at clothing stores, shoe stores, furniture stores, book stores, sporting good stores, jewelry stores, office supply stores, florists, auto dealers and all other places that sell items that are not considered critical. Restaurants can continue offering delivery and take-out.
Combined with other forced closures in the past week, the totality of Beshear’s actions equate to what many other governors have called a “stay-at-home” order, but Beshear has christened it a “healthy at home” initiative.
“We have been aggressive, but we’ve been taking one step, and then we’ve been taking another step and then another step,” Beshear said. “And it lets us all work into this new, I don’t want to say normal because it’s not going to be forever, and the more we do, hopefully we can shorten the time we’re going through all of this.”
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has increased rapidly in recent days as more testing laboratories begin operating in the state. Beshear said Sunday that the University of Kentucky is now performing its own tests.
Beshear’s numbers do not appear to include new cases reported Sunday in Jessamine and Madison County. Also Sunday, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul announced he had tested positive for COVID-19 despite having no symptoms.
COVID-19 case at Lexington school
Fayette County Public Schools also said Sunday that an employee at Lane Allen Elementary School in Lexington has tested positive for COVID-19. The person is isolated at home, school officials said.
The employee was last at James Lane Allen on Friday, March 13, and at that time, they were not exhibiting any symptoms.
Two employees who had close contact with the individual are not exhibiting any symptoms, but out of an abundance of caution they will self-quarantine for a full 14 days from the time they last interacted, a statement from the district said.
The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department has completed contact tracing and concluded that the rest of the James Lane Allen community is at no higher risk than anyone else in the general public, school officials said.
The man who tested positive in Christian County works for Hopkinsville Community College, according to the Kentucky New Era.
Beshear also announced Sunday that his previous request for the medical community to stop performing all elective medical procedures by last Wednesday will become an order on Monday. He said the step was necessary because a group of chiropractors “have been exceedingly difficult.”
Beshear also commended churches that followed his order Sunday to close their doors to in-person services, but called out a Lewis County pastor who has refused to comply. Beshear said the pastor, whom he did not name, is harming his congregation, noting there have already been multiple examples of the disease being spread at Kentucky churches.
“You can’t do that,” Beshear said.
Kentucky unemployment applications up 30 times over last year
Beshear said unemployment applications are up 30 times compared to this time last year, which he said is a good thing because there should be no stigma in receiving public assistance.
While he made no official announcement, Beshear teased that there would be more personal protective equipment coming into the state at a time when nationwide shortages are putting health care workers at risk.
Beshear said the lack of equipment is one of the biggest factors limiting widespread testing — even for people who aren’t showing symptoms — in the state.
“While we don’t have it at the moment, it means what we have is really important,” Beshear said.
Not everyone has been getting Beshear’s continued message urging people to stay home if they are sick. The Courier-Journal reported Sunday that a Jefferson County man went shopping after testing positive for COVID-19 and had to be ordered by a judge to isolate.
Kentucky residents can call the state coronavirus hotline — 1-800-722-5725 — for advice about when to seek medical treatment. Only people with symptoms of coronavirus — cough, fever and difficulty breathing — should call.
Visit Kentucky’s coronavirus website, kycovid19.ky.gov, for more guidance about the disease.
This story was originally published March 22, 2020 at 5:34 PM.
