35 new Kentucky coronavirus cases found. Total now 198. 5th death reported.
Calling the next few weeks “absolutely critical” in reducing community spread of COVID-19 as the outbreak gains momentum, Gov. Andy Beshear on Wednesday called for Kentuckians to “do even better” with social distancing.
“This is truly in the escalation where it becomes critically important,” Beshear said in a Capitol news conference, warning that “we’re about to see things get a lot worse before they get better.”
The Democratic governor announced 35 new cases of the novel coronavirus Wednesday and the state’s fifth death related to the respiratory disease. The state’s total number is now at least 198. Upwards of 10,000 tests have so far been conducted in Kentucky.
The individual was a 75-year-old man with underlying health issues. He was the second Jefferson County resident to die after contracting the virus. Others who have died were age 60 and older, from Anderson, Bourbon and Fayette counties.
The new cases included someone who went to Florida on spring back and came back with COVID-19, Beshear said.
“We can’t go on spring break,” Beshear said flatly.
Department for Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack told all college students who traveled elsewhere for spring break to “assume you have this infection now and self-isolate and keep yourself away from family members.”
The new cases are spread across the state, including in Daviess, Laurel, Grayson, Jefferson, Jessamine, Madison, McCreary, Wayne, Oldham, Nelson, Kenton and Fayette counties.
Wednesday’s number of new cases is slightly lower than Tuesday’s 39 new cases. “We are probably one of the only states right now that is able to give a report where we have a day that is less than the day before,” Beshear said.
But don’t be fooled, he said. “The surge is coming.”
Since many states are now seeing their number of cases double every two days, Beshear said, “the next two to three weeks are going to be absolutely critical” in order to “blunt the increase in this curve.”
“What you’re doing is working,” he said of Kentuckian’s social distancing. “Your sacrifice is helpful, [but] in the next two weeks we have to do even better.”
In Lexington, the number of cases jumped overnight from 28 to 37, the Lexington-Fayette County Public Health Department announced earlier Wednesday. Two of the new nine cases were linked to a small house party, a spokesman for the department said. Another party attendee previously tested positive for the viral respiratory disease.
Another instance of confirmed transmission is known to have occurred at a “coronavirus party,” Beshear said Tuesday, where a party-goer later tested positive for the virus.
Unemployment eligibility expanded
The governor also announced that, starting Wednesday, anyone who previously did not qualify for unemployment but whose job has been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak can now apply for those benefits through the state.
Those who now qualify include independent contractors, small business owners, substitute teachers, gig economy workers, child care workers at church, cosmetologists and anyone else “who has had to leave their job because of quarantine or unpaid leave” as a result of the coronavirus, Beshear said.
“This means that so many of you who are out there who were worried are now able to file, and we want you to,” he said. Those who’ve already filed do not need to again.
“Again, there is zero stigma to being on public assistance right now,” Beshear said.
As part of the executive order announced yesterday to close all businesses that aren’t “life-sustaining” by the end of the day on Thursday, Beshear also said he was suspending all evictions across the commonwealth “until we get through this.”
“I’m asking everybody to be healthy at home ... which means we cant kick people out of their homes, not right now.”
Drive-thru COVID-19 testing coming soon in Kentucky
Ample testing for COVID-19 has so far been a challenge across the state. Some of that challenge will be alleviated next week, “hopefully Monday,” when the state launches its first drive-thru testing facility, Beshear said.
Those tests will still be reserved for individuals showing symptoms, which is limiting, since roughly 80 percent of cases will only show mild to moderate symptoms and some will remain asymptomatic. But this testing capacity will add to the more than 10 other labs across the state already testing.
“Resources are still going to be limited even though there will be significantly more tests than we’ve seen to date on this large scale.”
It will hopefully be the first of multiple that will pop up in the coming weeks, he said, that will be “open to limited populations at the start.”
“Even if we get this plan up fully and expand it in the way we want, resources are still going to be limited even though there will be significantly more tests than we’ve seen to date on a large scale,” said Beshear, who hopes to announce complete details of the testing site on Thursday.
National Guard deploying to hospitals
Beshear also said the Kentucky National Guard will begin supporting hospitals across the state, starting Thursday at several hospitals throughout the Louisville region. “These are your friends and neighbors” who will now be wearing uniforms as they try to help, Beshear said.
Kentuckians can call 1-833-KYSAFER to report people and businesses not following social distancing guidelines issued by federal and state officials. Wait times could be long, Beshear warned, saying the phone line got more than 2,000 calls in its first day.
Visit Kentucky’s coronavirus website, kycovid19.ky.gov, for more guidance about the disease.
Donations to help people who have been economically affected by the virus can be made to the Team Kentucky fund. Tax-free donations can be made at https://secure.kentucky.gov/formservices/PPC/KYCOVID-19Donate.
This story was originally published March 25, 2020 at 5:38 PM.
