Beshear warns: Kentuckians crossing into Tennessee could bring coronavirus back home
Gov. Andy Beshear said Kentucky residents need to stay out of Tennessee if they can.
Kentuckians who live along the state’s southern border should not cross the state line unless they are going to work, to help a loved one or to the grocery store, Beshear said during his Friday afternoon news conference.
“Here in Kentucky, we have taken very aggressive steps to try to stop or limit the spread of the coronavirus to try to protect our people,” he said. “We have made major sacrifices such as shutting down bars and restaurants, nail salons, all these forward-facing businesses. But our neighbors from the south in many cases have not.”
Beshear specifically mentioned Christian, Logan and Todd counties as places where residents can help “flatten the curve” by avoiding travel to Tennessee.
Several Tennessee counties just south of them are reporting higher numbers of coronavirus cases.
For example, Robertson County, Tenn., which is just south of Logan and Simpson counties in Kentucky, had 22 cases of COVID-19 on Friday, The Tennessean reported. Logan has two confirmed cases, and Simpson County has six, according to the Barren River District Health Department.
As of Friday, The Tennessean said, there were 58 cases of coronavirus in Sumner County, Tenn., which shares a border with Simpson and Allen counties in Kentucky. Allen County had one confirmed case.
Tennessee had 1,203 cases of coronavirus as of Friday afternoon, up from 957 the day before.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has ordered gyms to close, prohibited social gatherings of 10 or more people and stopped dine-in service at restaurants and other establishments. But some in the medical profession are calling on him to do more to help slow the spread of the virus.
“I cannot control that Tennessee has not taken the steps that we have,” Beshear said. “...I need you to be strong in your pride in this state, and I need you to make sure that you don’t take someone else’s lack of action and ultimately bring it back to Kentucky to harm us.”
This story was originally published March 27, 2020 at 9:47 PM.
