Latest updates from Beshear on COVID-19

April 8, 2020 | 12:08 am

Updated April 7, 2020 | 11:24 pm

Gov. Andy Beshear on Tuesday provided various updates on the effects of the coronavirus in Kentucky. Among the topics highlighted were the number of cases in both the Green River Correctional Complex and Western State Hospital.

Beshear also put a spotlight on the need for the continued fight against COVID-19, detailing new cases and comparing Kentucky’s number to other states.

“It doesn’t matter what other states are doing. What we are doing is working. What we are doing is flattening the curve,” Beshear said. “We’re responsible for ourselves, our lives and the lives of people around us. It’s crunch time. You’ve done good work to date. It’s important to do even better.”

Green River Correctional Complex
Beshear offered an update on coronavirus cases in the Green River Correctional Complex in Muhlenberg County. As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, Green River Correctional Complex had 14 total cases, including nine inmates and five staffers.

Among the steps being taken there, they will:

  • Extensively monitor inmate and staff health, and will move inmates to isolation unit when symptoms are reported
  • Stagger recreational time and limit the number of inmates released to increase social distancing
  • Permit and encourage all inmates to wear masks to reduce the spread of the virus
  • Temporarily close the gymnasium and cease all in-person activities such as sports, classes and chapel
  • Continue cleaning of high-touch surfaces
  • Continually work with complex and medical staffers on infection control solutions for the entire facility

Western State Hospital
Beshear also provided an update on COVID-19 cases at Western State Hospital, where there were 13 reported cases — including nine patients and four staffers.

“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 said. “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.”

Among the specific actions being taken there:

  • Encourage all residents to wear masks to reduce spread of virus
  • Place hold on accepting new patients to decrease the spread of virus within the facility
  • Minimize entry into resident rooms by bundling care and treatment activities
  • Restrict non-essential personnel, volunteers and visitors from entering buildings
  • Daily intake of temperatures and shortness of breath, cough and sore throat
  • Have a low threshold to transfer ill residents to a higher level of care

Case information
Beshear said there were at least 1,149 coronavirus cases in Kentucky, 147 of which were newly confirmed.

Seven new deaths were reported Tuesday, raising the state’s toll to 65 deaths related to the virus.

Although the number of new cases reported today was large, Gov. Beshear urged Kentuckians to see how their sacrifices were stacking up nationally.

“New York today had 731 people that they reported passed away. New Jersey had 232. Pennsylvania, 78. Indiana, 34,” the Governor said. “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.”

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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.

April 8, 2020 | 12:08 am

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