After a lull in reported cases due to some testing facilities not reporting results over the weekend, Gov. Andy Beshear reported an uptick of confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) cases at his daily briefing on Tuesday.
The governor said 147 news cases of COVID-19 were reported over the last 24 hours, increasing the state’s total to 1,149. Tuesday marks the single largest one day increase in COVID-19 cases in Kentucky, but with the aforementioned asterisk in play.
New cases were reported in bordering Ohio County (eight confirmed cases) and Breckinridge County (two confirmed cases).
Other new cases reported Tuesday are in Jefferson, Fayette, Muhlenberg, Calloway, Daviess, Hopkins, Boyd, Boyle, Bullitt, Campbell, Lyon, Monroe, Adair, Allen, Caldwell, Christian, Franklin, Graves, Green, Harrison, Kenton, Laurel, Letcher, Marshall, McCreary, Montgomery, Nelson, Pulaski, Russell, Shelby, Simpson, Spencer, and Warren counties.
Although the number of new cases reported on Tuesday is significant, Beshear urged Kentuckians to see how their sacrifices are stacking up nationally.
“New York today had 731 people that they reported passed away,” Beshear said, while “New Jersey had 232. Pennsylvania, 78. Indiana, 34. Those are all Americans, and we will miss all of them. I hope that gives people out there kind of a scope of why we fight as hard as we do, why we make the sacrifices we do. Why we acted so early and aggressively. And for everybody out there sacrificing: It is paying off.”
Kentucky’s newest fatalities and concerns at jails and long-term care facilities
Beshear said seven COVID-19 deaths were reported on Tuesday, increasing the death toll in Kentucky to 65. Four of the deaths were in Jefferson County, with two in Lyon County and one in Adair County.
One of the deaths was a 42-year-old Jefferson County man, possibly the youngest victim yet in Kentucky. The other six deaths were victims ages 60 to 94.
Kentucky’s COVID-19 fatality rate, based on the current numbers, stands at 5.7 percent.
Beshear said he is concerned about the number of cases arising from Kentucky’s long-term care facilities where 55 residents have tested positive, along with 22 staff members. Eleven COVID-19 deaths have been reported at long-term care facilities, all of which were residents (16.9 percent of the state’s fatalities, but only 4.7 percent of the state’s reported COVID-19 cases).
“We’ve lost 11 Kentuckians who were in some long-term care facilities,” Beshear said. “This is a concern, and we’ve got to make sure we prevent the coronavirus from getting in as many of these facilities as possible and react quickly and swiftly when it does happen.”
At the Green River Correctional Complex in Muhlenberg County, nine inmates have been diagnosed with COVID-19 along with five staff members.
At Western State Hospital in Hopkinsville (Christian County), nine patients and four staff members have tested positive for the virus.
“Our Office of the Inspector General and Secretary of CHFS (Cabinet for Health and Family Services) are working directly with Western State Hospital to make sure we are doing everything, not just to protect the patients, but also the staff,” the governor noted. “I know the staff in all of these facilities are scared. We’re going to do everything we can to work with them and protect them, but I want them to know how appreciative we are that they are helping those who truly need the help, knowing what we are facing.”
Testing numbers
Beshear said 21,604 tests have been performed statewide, with Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack saying that the state is preparing to offer 2,000 tests per day, based on the availability of testing materials and swabs.
Stack also reviewed several potential treatment options for COVID-19, including chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, Z-pack, steroids, and convalescent serum (plasma from recovered patients), saying that those treatments are experimental, and individuals should seek advice from their doctors.
Racial breakdown of cases
Beshear noted the racial breakdown of Kentucky’s COVID-19 patients, which has been the subject of emerging news stories across the country.
The governor said with about 68 percent of the known cases accounted for, Kentucky’s COVID-19 cases are 79.3 percent Caucasian (Kentucky’s population is about 85 percent Caucasian), 12 percent African-American (8.3 percent), 2.6 percent Asian (1.5 percent) and 2 percent multiracial (1.9 percent).
Unemployment check issues
Josh Benton, Deputy Secretary of the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet also spoke at the briefing as he gave an update on Kentucky’s unemployment payments, saying he knows there’s a backlog of people waiting for unemployment checks.
“We have also tried to stop the denied letters from being sent, and that those who have received one should ignore,” Benton said. “We have also been able to move back the date that individuals can get that 13-week extension. You are going to be notified within the week how to reopen your claim for an additional 13 weeks. This is really good news, especially for miners who have lost their jobs and exhausted their benefits.”
Benton added that normally there are 12 employees manning the unemployment phone lines but they are increasing that number to 1,000 to 1,200 employees.
“We know this is taking the longest, and we wish it wasn’t,” Benton said. “But we’re doing what we can to add capacity.”
Benton also said denial letters were mistakenly mailed, but that people may receive their first unemployment check before receiving an approval letter.
Covid-19-related contact information
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages people to follow these steps to prevent illness. Kentuckians who want advice can call the state hotline at 800-722-5725 or call their local health care provider
Beshear continues to urge Kentuckians to be cautious of rumors and depend on proven and good sources of news, including governor.ky.gov, kycovid19.ky.gov and the governor’s official social media accounts Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
(Photo of Gov. Andy Beshear courtesy of the Associated Press)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
