There are now nearly 1,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Kentucky.
At his daily briefing on Saturday, Gov. Andy Beshear said confirmed COVID-19 cases now number at least 917 in the commonwealth. He announced three people have perished from the virus over the last 24 hours, bringing the state’s death toll to 40.
Passing away were a 53-year-old female from Fayette County, a 52-year-old female from Bullitt County and an 81-year-old male from Boone County.
Beshear reported 92 cases of the virus were confirmed between Friday evening and Saturday afternoon. Jefferson County reported the highest number of new cases with 45, bringing the state’s most populous county’s total to 300. Fayette County has the second most confirmed cases with at least 120.
Four of the newly reported coronavirus cases originated in a Lyon County nursing home.
Ohio County now has five confirmed COVID-19 patients, after reporting its two initial cases on Thursday. No new cases of the virus were reported out of Edmonson County on Saturday, leaving that county’s total at five confirmed cases. Muhlenberg County, with one new case on Saturday, now has 15 coronavirus cases.
There have been 130 patients hospitalized with the virus, Beshear said. Currently, 76 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized.
Believe it or not, Louisville “pastor” holding church services
Hopkins County reported 10 news cases of the virus over the previous 24 hours. The nearby county now has 52 confirmed cases, with many if not all blamed on a Dawson Springs church defiantly holding a revival service in mid-March.
The revival service is also epidemiologically connected to COVID-19 cases in a nursing home, a healthcare facility, an ambulance service, and cases in three other counties: Warren, Muhlenberg and Clark.
Four deaths Hopkins County are blamed on the virus, and all four are linked to the Dawson Springs revival service.
Apparently unable to grasp the gravity of the situation or learn from the mistakes of others, Jack Roberts, “pastor” at Maryville Baptist Church, on Smiths Lane in the Hillview section of Bullitt County, plans to hold church services Sunday regardless of the fact he’s placing his parishioners in mortal danger by doing so.
“I’m not interested in trying to defy the government,” Roberts told The Courier-Journal. “I don’t want to battle with anybody. What I’d like to do is just preach the gospel, and that’s become more difficult as time’s gone on. And it’s truthfully what I plan on doing.”
Roberts, 76, is evidently unaware that he’s still able to “just preach the gospel” without placing his flock in harm’s way, even though, according to the church’s Facebook page, services are broadcast via Facebook live.
“This is not a test of faith,” Beshear admonished pastors on Friday, “Use the wisdom God gave you.”
On Friday, the governor said he recommended a sheriff’s deputy or Kentucky State Trooper be placed in the parking lot of any non-compliant church and tell people as they arrive that they are helping spread the virus, and is it worth it to lose five percent or 10 percent of the church membership.
On Saturday, the governor said, “If you’re still holding mass gatherings, church or otherwise, you’re spreading the coronavirus (and) you’re likely causing the death of Kentuckians.”
Wearing masks
Beshear says he recommends following the CDC guidelines about wearing a cloth mask in public. He said he will wear a cloth mask under appropriate circumstances, but Beshear emphasized that social distancing remains the key to slowing down the spread of the virus.
Citizens may donate personal protective equipment (PPE) through a central location: 833-GIVE-PPE (833-448-3773) or giveppe.ky.gov. You may also donate PPE at all 16 Kentucky State Police posts across the state and at the KYTC district offices in Louisville and Lexington.
Kentuckians who have questions about coronavirus are asked to call the COVID-19 hotline at 1-800-722-5725.
(Photo: Jack Roberts, courtesy of Facebook)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
