KY coronavirus worry grows. Beshear tells Harrison County residents to avoid crowds.
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Residents of Harrison County should avoid contact with large groups of people as health officials prepare for more cases of novel coronavirus in the community north of Lexington and elsewhere in Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear said in a rare Saturday news conference.
Kentucky’s first COVID-19 patient, who was diagnosed Friday afternoon, is in serious but improving condition at UK Chandler Hospital, Beshear said.
The patient is a resident of Harrison County and was first treated at Harrison Memorial Hospital, Beshear said.
“At this point we expect more cases of the coronavirus to be confirmed in Kentucky and we believe likely we will have additional cases in Harrison County,” Beshear said. “Because of that, people in Harrison County or across Kentucky should not panic and should instead be prepared.”
As of 3 p.m. Saturday, no new cases had been confirmed. The state ran four additional tests and all came back negative.
Beshear recommended that residents of Harrison County practice good hygiene and begin to practice “social distancing” — trying to maintain a distance of six feet from others. He recommended that nursing homes in Harrison County close to visitors for the upcoming week and that large public gatherings be delayed.
Harrison County Public Schools announced it is closing next week and canceling all sports and extracurricular activities until further notice. Beshear did not urge any businesses to close.
Those in Harrison County experiencing severe symptoms of coronavirus, such as a dangerously high fever and difficulty breathing, should visit the emergency room of Harrison Memorial Hospital, which is prepared to handle those cases, said Dr. Crystal Miller, director of the WEDCO District Health Department.
Dr. Steven Stack, the Kentucky public health commissioner, advised people who have a fever or cough but otherwise feel fine to seek care from a telehealth provider or to call before visiting a doctor’s office. They can also seek guidance from the state’s COVID-19 Hotline at 1-800-722-5725.
“In a situation like this people’s fear of the unknown often outstrips what fear is really justified,” Stack said. “So if you would not normally seek medical care or not normally go to an emergency department or a doctor’s office, continue to behave as normal. But if you feel you have an emergency, by all means seek medical care as you feel you need to.”
The Democratic governor said there is no need to panic and urged people to remain calm.
“We are going to get through this and we are going to get through it together,” Beshear said. “And what we have to make sure is just because we engage in social distancing in any county, we do not lose our compassion. We are still helping each other, we are still checking on each other.”
Beshear also noted that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now recommending that anyone over the age of 60 and those with heart, lung and kidney diseases should avoid public gatherings.
The state currently has the capacity to conduct between 800 and 1,000 tests for potential cases of COVID-19, Stack said Thursday.
As of Saturday, Beshear said 14 people had been tested. It currently takes about 12 hours for test results to come back.
Epidemiologists have been working to identify and contact people the patient may have come in contact with in recent days.
“They have been working ever since yesterday evening and they have been continuing to work,” Stack said. “As we can imagine, any of us in the community interact with a lot of people on a regular basis so they try their very best to build out that web of contacts so we can advise everybody who needs to be advised.”
Kentuckians still remain at “very low risk” of contracting the virus, Stack said.
Visit http://kycovid19.ky.gov for daily updates on COVID-19 in Kentucky.
Officials urged Kentuckians to take several steps to protect their health, including:
▪ Get a flu shot from your Local Health Department or your family provider.
▪ Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
▪ Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
▪ Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
▪ Stay home when you are sick.
▪ Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and then properly dispose of it.
▪ Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron issued a statement Saturday afternoon urging Kentuckians to report any suspected price gouging to the state’s Consumer Protection Hotline at 888-432-9257.
This story was originally published March 7, 2020 at 1:06 PM.
