Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, in a Wednesday morning news conference, urged several new restrictions on public gathering and workplace practices to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
One recommendation is that churches not conduct services this weekend.
“We want to mitigate the long-term impact,” Beshear said in the news conference.
Eight people in Kentucky have been diagnosed with COVID-19. None, so far, is in Western Kentucky. Five of the patients live in Harrison County, two in Fayette County and one in Jefferson County.
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In addition to recommending that churches cancel their Sunday services, the governor outlined the following actions:
- State prisons are closed to visitors.
- Employers are asked to implement telework practices where possible.
- School systems are being urged to develop plans to close on short notice.
“We are going to get through this … it’s important that everyone remain calm,” the governor said.
The state has established a website to share coronavirus developments with Kentuckians.
(Jennifer P. Brown is the editor and founder of Hoptown Chronicle. Reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org.)
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. She spent 30 years as a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition.
