At his daily briefing, Gov. Andy Beshear reported the largest single-day increase in confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Kentucky as 204 more victims have tested positive for the virus.
Wednesday marks the second consecutive day the state has set a record for confirmed cases of the virus after 147 new cases were announced on Tuesday.
There are now at least 1,346 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Kentucky (not included in that total is the third COVID-19 case in Grayson County, announced Wednesday).
Eight new deaths were reported Wednesday, increasing the COVID-19 death toll to 73. Beshear said there were four deaths in Jefferson County, three in Christian County (two of those deaths are from Western State Hospital in Hopkinsville), and one in Calloway County.
The youngest person to perish from the virus was a 63-year-old Jefferson County man while the oldest victim was a 93-year-old Jefferson County woman.
“Remember even with those sacrifices, there are going to be escalating cases before we have fewer cases. In other words, we still know that across the country and here in Kentucky that it is going to get tougher before it gets better,” the governor said. “But we are not talking about an indefinite period of time. We know that there is an end. We just have to be strong enough to get there.”
The governor said 339 people have fully recovered from the virus, while 205 victims are currently hospitalized. Of those, 93 are being cared for in ICUs.
New cases were reported in 51 Kentucky counties on Wednesday. Daviess County reported the most cases with 21,while Fayette and Hopkins counties reported 19 new COVID-19 cases respectively. Kenton County has 17 new cases and Jefferson County 15. Campbell County reported 14 new cases and Pulaski County 11.
Muhlenberg County, where a curfew was placed into effect this week, reported five new cases, bringing that county’s total to 33, according to the Muhlenberg County Health Department.
Hopkins County’s 19 cases reported Wednesday increases its total of confirmed COVID-19 cases to at least 73, with four deaths blamed on the virus.
Beshear said 72 residents and 13 staff members in 25 long-term care facilities in Kentucky have tested positive for COVID-19, with 13 deaths.
“While we say 25 facilities, at least 10 of them haven’t had residents test positive and have only had staff members” test positive. Beshear said. “And many of those staff members were not necessarily in the facility or even around the facility during that period of time.”
Mass gatherings this weekend
The governor continued to issue warnings about the dangers of mass gatherings during the upcoming Easter weekend.
“If you get 50, 100, 200 people in one building for a service or anything else, the coronavirus will spread,” Beshear said. “We have scientific evidence and definitive facts that show these types of services have spread the coronavirus to dozens upon dozens of cases and that there have been deaths that have resulted from it. If you are charged with protecting your flock, don’t do something that will mean that there are fewer people at Christmas than the service you want to put on now because they have died.
“While I know it will be hard to worship virtually or in other ways, it will save lives and it will mean the people you would normally see in person at church will still be in church months from now,” Beshear added. “It protects your congregations, it protects people around you, it’s our test of humanity and maybe it’s even a test of faith to be able to do things differently. But knowing that our faith is strong, that we are up for this and that we are protecting our fellow human beings.”
While mass gatherings are banned and many travel restrictions are in place, the governor told Kentuckians not to fret as the Easter Bunny has been deemed an “essential worker” and would be able to travel and work this weekend.
Pharmacy refill order extended
Beshear extended a previous executive order regarding medication dispensed by pharmacies.
Under the order, pharmacists will be able to dispense emergency refills for up to another 30-day supply of non-scheduled medications to Kentucky residents without the patient visiting a doctor, while instead using telehealth services to renew prescriptions.
It also gives pharmacists wide discretion in dispensing medications to fight COVID-19, requiring only that they follow guidelines and advice of the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health or the state commissioner of public health.
Pharmacists also will be allowed to work out of temporary or non-traditional areas that otherwise would be restricted. The order runs through May 8 but could be extended.
Only one family member allowed to visit open businesses
A new order limits one adult per household in a store at a time at those businesses that remain open, including groceries, pharmacies and hardware stores.
La Tasha Buckner, the Governor’s general counsel and chief of staff, said the new rule is aimed at cutting down crowds and opportunities for essential shopping runs to turn into a social hour.
“This helps us in a lot of ways,” Buckner said. “First it’s going to help you and the businesses practice good social distancing, if there’s less people in there,” she said. “It’s also going to help your families stay safer because you have less people going into the stores and becoming potentially exposed. It’s going to help you stay safer and the employees of the business.”
Door-to-door solicitations must also end under the new order, Buckner said.
“There can’t be any door-to-door solicitations going on right now,” Beshear noted. “That’s the honeybee model that spreads it.”
Supplemental unemployment payments coming soon
Beshear announced that Kentucky has received the federal funding stream to begin making the additional $600 per week payment to Kentuckians receiving unemployment insurance benefits. He said citizens should begin receiving those payments as soon as Thursday night.
This $600 payment will be made separate from other unemployment benefits.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
