As Kentucky took the first step in reopening its healthcare industry Monday, Gov. Andy Beshear and his administration offered new details on a four-phase plan to restart the sector while staying safe from the coronavirus.
Beshear and Steven Stack, commissioner for the Department for Public Health, outlined the four-phase structure to gradually bring more health care services back online.
This phased reopening of health care services is the first step under the Healthy at Work initiative the Governor introduced to help businesses restart operations safely when the time is right. The initiative set out public health benchmarks for reopening Kentucky’s economy. These benchmarks closely follow the White House’s Guidelines for Reopening America.
Under Phase 1 — which began Monday — healthcare practitioners can resume non-urgent/emergent health care services, diagnostic radiology and lab services in:
- Hospital outpatient settings;
- Health care clinics and medical offices;
- Physical therapy settings, chiropractic offices and optometrists;
- Dental offices (but with enhanced aerosol protections)
This initial Phase 1 does not apply to long-term care settings, prisons and other industries or other settings, nor does it apply to elective surgeries or procedures.
Phase 2 is set to begin May 6. At that time, outpatient surgeries and other invasive procedures can resume, though hospital and care facilities will have to meet strict guidelines.
Phase 3 is scheduled to start May 13. Hospitals and care facilities can begin doing non-emergency surgeries and procedures at 50% of their pre-COVID-19-era patient volume.
Officials want Phase 4 to begin May 27. At that point, most of the restrictions on types of procedures and volume will be left to the facilities to determine. However, oversight and guidelines meant to ensure that capacity remains in the system will continue.
Stack emphasized that this is a phased, gradual reopening of services and that any COVID-19 resurgence may require adjustment. For full guidance on criteria for reopening and new best practices, click here. The Governor added that more industry reopening dates would be announced soon.
Other updates from Beshear
Safe dentistry reopening
As of Monday, dental offices may reopen under Phase 1, provided they follow certain protocols and have the proper equipment to do so. The Board of Dentistry, along with the Kentucky Dental Association, Kentucky Dental Hygienists’ Association and a number of other groups have developed the following guidelines for safely operating dental offices under Phase 1.
Masks
The Governor said that by May 11, everybody working for an essential business that is reopening should be wearing a mask. They should also be worn when going to the grocery, into any place of business or to any place where social distancing might not be possible at all times.
Unemployment payments
The Governor said Kentucky was making great strides in addressing an unprecedented wave of unemployment insurance claims.
Nearly 283,000 claims from March have been processed, and an additional 149,000 March and April claims were expected to be processed Monday night. Of those, 150,000 first-time payments went out Monday. About 30,000 claims from March will be paid this week. For those who filed in March and still have not been paid, a new hotline will be announced Tuesday just for them.
Case information
As of Monday afternoon, there were at least 4,146 coronavirus cases in Kentucky, 87 of which were newly confirmed. Five new deaths were also reported, raising the state’s toll to 213 deaths related to the virus. At least 1,521 Kentuckians have recovered from the virus.
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The Owensboro Health coronavirus hotline is available 24/7 by calling 877-888-6647. Call the hotline before seeking in-person care. More information from OH can be found here.
For the latest information and data on COVID-19 in Kentucky visit kycovid19.ky.gov or dial the Kentucky state hotline at 800-722-5725.
For the latest health guidelines and resources from the CDC, visit their website here.
