Gov. Andy Beshear said at his daily coronavirus (COVID-19) briefing on Thursday that 174 new cases of the virus have been confirmed in Kentucky. There are now 4,708 cases of COVID-19 in Kentucky.
Beshear reported five new deaths on Thursday, a 77-year-old man from Bath County, a 93-year-old woman from Daviess County, a 71-year-old woman from Jefferson County, plus two deaths from Grayson County, an unnamed 66-year-old man and 97-year-old Ruth Lee Embry.
The state now has 240 COVID-19 deaths (5.1 percent fatality rate).
As of Thursday, 1,375 (29.2 percent) coronavirus patients have been hospitalized in Kentucky, with 330 victims currently being treated in a hospital. The total number of patients treated in ICU is 642 (13.6 percent), while 178 people are currently receiving treatment in intensive care.
The governor said 1,675 (35.6 percent) Kentuckians have recovered from the virus, with 56,511 (1.3 percent of Kentuckian) tests administered.
Beshear reminded Kentuckians that we need to be the smartest, not the fastest, in reopening the state’s economy in order to defeat the virus without causing a spike of cases in the commonwealth.
The governor has set May 11 as the date for the first step of reopening Kentucky, with subsequent dates of May 20 and May 25 being targeted to expand the resurrection of the commonwealth’s economy (links provided below with details on reopening the state’s economy).
“You, the citizens of the commonwealth of Kentucky, are taking on a pandemic that happens once in every 100 years, and while we have lost too many, you are doing something this world has never seen and not just flattening, but plateauing the curve here in Kentucky,” Beshear said. “Your actions every day are saving lives. And as we go to make a slow, gradual transition from healthy at home to healthy at work, we need you now more than ever to be bought in and to be committed and to make sure that we do what it takes to protect one another.”
Tentative reopening schedule
This week, Kentucky began the phased reopening of health care services as the first step under Beshear’s Healthy at Work initiative.
On Wednesday, the governor unveiled a tentative reopening schedule for a variety of businesses allowed to resume operations in May.
However, he cautioned that in all cases, it will not be business as usual and will require adherence to the 10 rules to reopening, along with industry specific requirements. For more information, click here.
Unemployment insurance update
Josh Benton, deputy secretary of the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet, announced the state was able to clear an additional 1,050 of the 29,000 remaining initial March unemployment claims on Wednesday.
There are 27,915 March claims remaining. This evening (Thursday), 8,000 people who applied in March but have not provided identity documents will receive a direct email.
SNAP update
Kentucky is one of the pilot states for a new program allowing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – or food benefits – recipients to use benefits online, including for delivery orders. Amazon and Walmart are currently the only retailers that have partnered with Kentucky for online SNAP purchasing.
Amazon will ship statewide. Walmart will deliver to select locations and offers grocery pickup as an option to SNAP recipients and all other households. Shipping and delivery fees, when applicable, must be paid with another means of payment. They cannot be paid with SNAP benefits.
More information on who can become an online SNAP retailer and how to apply is available at https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/retailer. Kentuckians can apply for SNAP by calling 1-855-306-8959 or at www.benefind.ky.gov.
“This is good. This is going to provide an extra level of safety. It’s something we’ve been working on for a long time,” the governor said. “We got over 600,000 individuals on SNAP who we want to make sure they can take advantage of this in their communities.”
Operation American Resolve
The Kentucky Air National Guard will present a two-ship C-130 flyover across the commonwealth of Kentucky on Friday, May 1. The aerial demonstration is part of Operation American Resolve, a nationwide salute to all those supporting COVID-19 response efforts.
The flyover locations include Frankfort, Lexington, Pikeville, Bowling Green, Owensboro, and Louisville.
“At each location they are specifically flying over selected medical facilities throughout the entire state,” Adjutant General Hal Lamberton said. “This is a show of honor and respect for the military from everybody to the first responders, to the hospital workers, to those essential personnel who have been engaged in the pandemic response at this junction.”
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
