Beshear recognizes Lexington teacher after COVID-19 death, promises ‘we will do better.’

Gov. Andy Beshear on Monday directed his condolences to the husband of a Lexington teacher who recently died of COVID-19, apologized and promised, “we will do better.”

“We’re so sorry that this has happened ... we will work harder. We will stay strong and we will try to make sure that other families don’t lose their Ruthie Martinez,” said Beshear.

Martinez, a permanent substitute teacher at Lexington’s Winburn Middle School, died in September. School district officials said last week that they learned only recently that she died of COVID-19.

Beshear said her husband of 28 years, Miguel Vazquez, said that she always managed to find the good in people. Beshear said Martinez’ husband laughed as he recalled her warm and supportive smile and that she once said, “I don’t know why, but the kids who sometimes act up always love me.”

The Kentuckians dying of coronavirus are more than an age and a county, they are “wonderful people,” Beshear said during a daily news conference .

“Ruthie was only 49,” said Beshear, noting that she was a terrific teacher and beloved wife, mother and grandmother. He said that Winburn principal Mike Hale called her a “warrior.”

Beshear said he was wearing his mask on Monday in honor of Martinez and asked all Kentuckians to do the same.

Fayette students have been learning from home since late August, but some students returned in person Monday.

Some teachers have been giving virtual lessons from their classrooms. Martinez had not been at school four days prior to her passing, Hale said earlier. He said there had been “a diagnosis” of COVID-19 in her household.

One other Winburn employee quarantined for 14 days as a result of her death, Fayette district officials have said.

At least one other district staff member’s death — a school bus driver who died in the spring — has been attributed to the coronavirus.

This story was originally published October 19, 2020 at 7:16 PM.