Local leaders from Daviess County and the cities of Owensboro and Whitesville discussed a variety of topics — from event cancellations to testing to general updates — during a Facebook live session about COVID-19 on Thursday.
The biggest update came from Whitesville Mayor Patsy Mayfield, who announced that two of the city’s biggest annual events — the fireworks and tractor shows — would be cancelled this year. The fireworks show had been set for June 26 and the tractor show for May 16.
Mayfield said the fireworks show, in particular, would present too great a risk for the residents of Whitesville.
“Due to an expectation of having the large crowd we usually have, there’s no way we could practice social distancing,” she said. “We are all in this together.”
Owensboro Mayor Tom Watson said city officials have not yet made a decision about the downtown 4th of July fireworks show, but the event was part of ongoing discussions.
City officials are also in talks about whether or not to open public swimming pools this summer, he said, adding that a decision should be made soon so lifeguards can receive their training in time.
“We’ll be making that decision in the next week or so,” Watson said.
Meanwhile, Judge-Executive Al Mattingly addressed concerned citizens who’ve expressed fears of being arrested for not practicing social distancing.
“While we’d like to do that, I don’t think the mayor has ordered OPD, nor have I ordered the Sheriff’s Department to go out and arrest anyone,” he said. “We want you to take social distancing seriously. I think everyone will tell you that’s one of the best things you can do.”
Mattingly also provided updates about United Way and the Green River Foundation raising nearly $700,000 for the area’s less fortunate.
Green River District Health Department Director Clay Horton said the area had seen a lot of COVID-19 cases over the last week, but exactly half of the confirmed 146 cases have recovered and been released from isolation.
Because of a two-week incubation period that develops before a patient shows symptoms and gets a COVID-19 test, Horton said the recent upswing in numbers was a result of what had happened to these individuals two to three weeks prior.
Owensboro Health’s Chief Medical Officer Francis DuFrayne acknowledged the spike in new cases as well — saying the hospital’s numbers differed from GRDHD’s for a variety of reasons including different coverage areas.
“Our numbers continue to go up, slightly,” he said. “If you look at how we can start rolling things out to start opening businesses again, I really recommend that we start to see a decline in our numbers — it doesn’t have to be zero — but we should see a decline in our numbers over a two-week period. We are not there yet.”
As the city’s new drive-thru testing site prepares for an opening next week, DCEMA Director Andy Ball revealed a map that would soon be available to the public. The site, located at Owensboro Community & Technical College, will operate on Tuesdays-Thursday next week from 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Those wishing to be tested will have to register online ahead of time and will be walked through a screening process related to COVID-19 before scheduling an appointment.
“As long as traffic isn’t backed up, it shouldn’t take a huge time to get through the line,” Ball said.
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