Gov. Andy Beshear announced Wednesday at his daily COVID-19 briefing that the phased restart of Kentucky’s economy will begin Monday as a segment of the healthcare services industry will be allowed to reopen.
He said the easing of restrictions will allow for diagnostic and radiology testing, as well as non-urgent, emergent, in-person office, and ambulatory visits.
“We are very close to coming to a consensus and an agreement in being able to put out guidelines for the gradual reopening of many of our hospital and healthcare services,” Beshear said. “We will be moving from this phase to others. Healthcare is a good and important place to start some of our reopening.”
The governor said the phased healthcare services reopening is the first under the Healthy at Work initiative he introduced Tuesday to help businesses reopen safely “when the time is right.”
The initiative set out public health benchmarks for reopening Kentucky’s economy.
Beshear said a foundational basis for safely reopening the economy requires a massive ramping up of testing capacity in the commonwealth.
Expanded testing
Beshear said drive-thru testing continues to be expanded around the state.
On Wednesday, he announced an expansion of the state’s pact with Kroger and other new partnerships to bring drive-thru testing in communities throughout the commonwealth.
The new testing sites related to the Kroger partnership will take place in Louisville, Lexington, Owensboro, and Bowling Green. Kroger testing is free to anyone who needs a test. Anyone seeking to receive a test may obtain location and registration details at the KrogerHealth website.
Testing will be available from April 28 until April 30 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Owensboro Community College, at 4800 New Hartford Road, and at Bowling Green’s South Warren High School, at 8140 Nashville Road.
Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner of the Department for Public Health, talked about different types of testing at Wednesday’s briefing.
“Now we want clinician judgment to be the primary guide and if patients have concerns that they should get tested,” Stack said. “But remember, I’ve urged every step of the way that you should seek a test in partnership with a clinician who can help you know if the test you’ve gotten is useful for your particular situation, and what you should do with the information when you get it.
‘We really need the hospitals and others to start using this test capacity, particularly as we look to start reopening some medical facilities next week. We have to see these (testing) numbers go up,” he added.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
