COVID-19 spreading quickly in dozens of Kentucky nursing homes. 152 infected. 16 dead.
Gov. Andy Beshear announced 134 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Kentucky Thursday as the disease pummels dozens of nursing homes, infecting at least 152 residents and staff. At least 1,452 Kentuckians have contracted the coronavirus across the state.
He also announced six new deaths, three of which were among nursing home residents, increasing Kentucky’s death toll to 79.
“Our trends, even with that amount, are different than what we’re seeing in other places,” Beshear said. “What we see is our escalation is growing slower, our doubling rate is lower... I know the social distancing is working.”
Of the six people who died, Beshear said four were from Jefferson County (a 69-year-old man, an 83-year-old woman, a 59-year-old man and an 87-year-old woman) and two were from Hopkins County (a 70-year-old woman and an 82-year-old woman).
To date, a total of 446 of the people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Kentucky have been hospitalized (228 are still in the hospital) and 166 have required intensive care (105 are currently in intensive care). At least 395 Kentuckians have recovered from the disease.
The disease is rapidly spreading among nursing homes in Kentucky with 32 of the new COVID-19 cases among residents in nursing homes and 13 among staff. So far, 104 residents of 26 nursing homes and 48 staff members have tested postive for COVID-19. There have been 16 coronavirus-related deaths among residents of nursing homes.
“This is where the coronavirus wreaks havoc,” Beshear said.
The Herald-Leader has asked the Beshear Administration to name the affected nursing homes each of the last two days, but the governor has not provided a list. The Northern Kentucky Health Department refused to release the names of nursing homes affected in its district even though at least one nursing home in Kenton County has confirmed cases independently.
On Thursday, Beshear said one nursing home — Treyton Oak Towers in Louisville — has 29 cases (eight staff members and 21 residents) and four people have died. Dr. Steven Stack called the health care team at Treyton Oak Towers “heroes” and said they have done everything they can to help residents.
The state evacuated 18 people from the home Thursday, taking them to a Norton Healthcare facility.
Stack said the state will try to find similar solutions for as many other hard-hit nursing homes as possible.
Beshear said the situation in Kentucky nursing homes would be even more dire if he had not signed a March 10 executive order banning most visitors at long-term care facilities.
“Had we not restricted visitation, this would have been significantly worse,” Beshear said.
Beshear said new cases grew more slowly in two state-run facilities where there have been outbreaks — Western State Hospital and Green River Correctional Facility. At Green River, one additional inmate and one more staff member tested positive, bringing the total to 10 inmates and seven staffers. Beshear said more inmates are being tested after showing symptoms of the disease.
At Western State, three additional staff members tested positive, bringing the total to nine residents and 10 staffers. Two of those residents have died.
Beshear closes two popular state parks
Beshear made a variety of other announcements Thursday:
▪ He said two state parks — Natural Bridge and Cumberland Falls — will be closed to the public because too many people were gathering.
▪ The Democratic governor signed a new executive order on workers compensation, extending temporary total disability for people who are quarantined due to exposure to COVID-19 to childcare workers, grocery workers, postal service workers, social workers, corrections officers, people who work at domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers and military personnel.
▪ The number of Kentuckians who are unemployed has increased exponentially — 127,473 Kentuckians applied for unemployment benefits between April 1 and April 8 — and the state is now processing about 14,000 claims a day. About 87 percent of people who have filed since March 16 are receiving their payments on time, said Josh Benton, the deputy secretary for workforce development.
This story was originally published April 9, 2020 at 6:06 PM.
