Gov. Beshear announced Wednesday that his administration is deepening ties with Indiana and Ohio in the fight against the coronavirus, with an eye toward eventually coordinating plans to reopen the states’ economies.
Beshear, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine have agreed to continue close discussions on responding to the pandemic with a unified front.
“Regionally, it is so critical,” Beshear said. “If you live in Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati is right across the river, we have to work together to make sure that one area isn’t on top of the virus and another just brings it in, and vice versa.”
The Governor will continue regular calls and planning sessions with neighboring governors and other leaders over the coming weeks. As action is taken, the governors will provide updates.
“These two governors and I have been on a call at least once a week, and let me tell you, they care about their people,” Beshear said. “There hasn’t been one political moment in it, just three people trying to do the best they can surrounded by teams trying to do the best that they can.”
He said that the collaboration is essential but that each leader ultimately would make his own decisions.
“In the end each state will have to sign off on any of their plans. None of us are going to relinquish our obligation to serve our people,” Beshar said. “But we believe that these three states have been doing a good job in what we face with the coronavirus and that our experience is very similar, and so that by doing this we believe we can have a more effective eventual opening of different parts of our economy.”
Beshear said there were at least 2,291 coronavirus cases in Kentucky. There have been 122 deaths related to the virus, while 862 people have recovered.
To date, at least 28,324 people have been tested. At least 807 people have ever been hospitalized, with 412 currently hospitalized. At least 367 have ever been in the ICU, with at least 252 people currently in the ICU.
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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.
