Here are coronavirus updates for Kentucky on Monday, March 16:
- Gov. Andy Beshear said today he will order closure of bars and restaurants, with some exceptions for delivery and drive-through, probably effective at 5 p.m.
- Acknowledging that the move will cost some people their jobs, Beshear said the waiting period and work-search requirements for unemployment benefits would be waived.
- The governor encouraged Kentuckians to order takeout and delivery to support the restaurant industry, and said his family would do so three times a week. The Lexington Herald-Leader did a quick reaction story.
- Beshear announced that a 66-year-old man from Bourbon County with COVID-19 has died. He said the disease was only one factor, but the man will be counted as the first Kentucky COVID-19 death.
- He said one reason the state is taking aggressive steps is that it has so many people with underlying medical conditions, such as heart, lung or kidney disease, that make them more vulnerable to the coronavirus. Diabetes is also one of those conditions.
- Smoking is probably another. “Experts note that damage to the lungs from pollutants that result from combustion — whether inhaled deliberately by smokers, or inadvertently by those in regions with poor air quality — may increase the risk of respiratory tract infections from viruses such as the novel coronavirus,” reports Chris Mooney of The Washington Post. “Poor air can also cause lung inflammation that could worsen the symptoms of COVID-19.”
- The aim of the restrictions is to “flatten the curve” of the outbreak to keep the health-care system from being overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said this morning, “I don’t believe we’re going to flatten the curve to meet the capacity of the health-care system” in his state and the three-state New York City area, so state and local officials will look for facilities that can be converted into temporary hospitals, but “We need federal assistance. … No state can do it.”
- Beshear said it remains unclear when large-scale testing will be available in Kentucky; he said each time the state has received a timeline, it has been extended.
- He said state government will try to stop all in-person services and will extend drivers’ licenses for 90 days.
PROTECT YOURSELF AND OTHERS
Information about COVID-19 in Kentucky can be found at kycovid19.ky.gov; to ask questions about the disease, call the state hotline at 1-800-722-5725.
Signs and symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, shortness of breath, but many people with the coronavirus have no symptoms, or may have the virus and be contagious for several days before developing symptoms.
If you develop symptoms and have been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19, or have recently traveled from an area with an ongoing spread of coronavirus, it is recommended that you seek medical advice.
The virus is thought to spread mainly from person to person through tiny droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
Measures to protect yourself include: washing your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds; only use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available; avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands; avoid close contact with people who are sick; stay home if you are sick; do not visit with seniors or people with chronic health conditions if you are sick; cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and then throw it away; get a flu shot; clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces; and engage in social distancing, which means trying to stay six feet apart.
