Local leaders respond to COVID-19

March 18, 2020 | 9:14 am

Updated March 23, 2020 | 2:56 pm

Judge-Executive Al Mattingly and Mayor Tom Watson spoke Tuesday at a joint press conference that revolved around one singular topic — COVID-19. Both local leaders encouraged their community to remain calm and continue abiding by recommendations released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Mattingly encouraged the community to respond the right way when inevitable cases of coronavirus infiltrate the area, saying he had no doubt there would be coronavirus cases in Daviess County, but that the strength of the community would be built upon its response to the epidemic.

“This is going to pop up in our community — of that I’m sure,” he said. “Our greatness as a community will be determined on how we respond.”

Though Mattingly has been asked about declaring a state of emergency in Daviess County since the COVID-19 spread, he said that declaration would be put on hold unless absolutely necessary.

“I, along with the other officials, hesitate to do this because all a state of emergency allows us to do is operate outside the norms of local government — outside the realm of openness and transparency,” he said. “Our citizens deserve the truth. Our citizens deserve to be informed. And, until absolutely necessary, that’s the way Daviess County Fiscal Court is going to operate.”

Though the Daviess County Courthouse will remain open, Mattingly encouraged the community to call ahead before showing up. Fiscal Court meetings will continue, but will not be open to the public. Mattingly said they will be streamed via Fiscal Court’s Facebook page until further notice.

Watson said the City of Owensboro was working diligently to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at the local level and reminded the community that Owensboro currently had zero confirmed cases of the virus.

“It is paramount to remember that as of this day, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Owensboro,” he said. “The community must remain strong, level-headed and pragmatic. Under these circumstances, which remain very, very fluid, rest assured that City officials remain vigilant and prepared to react to any events of the spread of COVID-19.”

Watson asked the community to be proactive in guarding themselves and others against COVID-19 and referred to City Manager Nate Pagan to describe a list of measures the city had taken to slow down the spread.

Those citywide measures include:

Asking residents to call CityAction at 270-687-4444 or email [email protected] for questions and concerns, minus the coronavirus, instead of making in-person contact at City Hall.

Encouraging residents to view City Commission meetings via the city’s website, Facebook page and YouTube channel rather than in person.

Making payments regarding the remittance of taxes, parking tickets, etc. to P.O. Box 10003, Owensboro, KY 42303-9003, by calling 270-687-8537 or by dropping them off in the overnight box located on the Allen St. side of City Hall instead of in-person at City Hall.

Canceling/postponing special events held on city property through April 6.

Canceling Parks & Recreation activities and closing down sites, such as the Edge Ice Center.

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Click here for all of our coronavirus coverage.

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.

March 18, 2020 | 9:14 am

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