County cases down

By Greg Bird
birdman@tmcvoice.com

McCreary County is down to only two reported active cases of COVID-19, but the total number of confirmed cases rose by one to 11 over the past week.
In the 10-county area covered by the Lake Cumberland District Health Department the total number of cases have continued to rise, but the number of active cases has fallen as more individuals released from isolation. According to the latest data from LCDHD the District has 68 current active cases, with 15 of those individuals hospitalized. That number dropped by 20 on Tuesday, with 19 individuals being released from isolation, and unfortunately, one death.
A total of 172 cases have been reported in the district, with 15 deaths attributed to the COVID-19 virus.
McCreary County has seen another individual who had refused to self-quarantine after potentially being exposed to the virus through a relative, though that order has already been rescinded.
On Saturday County Attorney Austin Price obtained an injunction at the request of the Lake Cumberland District Health Department ordering the individual to remain at home for at least 14-days.
It was not until Monday afternoon before Sheriff Randy Waters was able to locate the individual and serve the paperwork. The Sheriff stated he spoke with the man, who agreed to self-isolate. At the court hearing on the matter Tuesday, Circuit Judge Dan Ballou rescinded the order after apparently not finding any evidence the individual was a threat to the public health.
As of Wednesday morning Kentucky has reported 4,375 total cases of COVID-19, with 230 new cases confirmed Tuesday. There have been 52,411 tests conducted and 225 deaths.
Tennessee still dwarfs Kentucky’s numbers, with 9,918 cases and 184 deaths, but their testing capacity is more than three times as many as Kentucky’s, with over 161,000 tests conducted. Scott County has gone 13 days without a new case, and has zero active cases at this time according to the Independent Herald.
Governor Andy Beshear announced plans to begin opening up the state Tuesday by announcing 10 guidelines for businesses to follow to prepare for an eventual re-opening.
“There are things that are similar to all businesses. These are things that are in the White House’s plan for reopening. And just like we talk about 10 steps for defeating the coronavirus, I want to talk about 10 steps for Healthy at Work,” Gov. Beshear said.
The “Healthy at work” plan ask employers to continue telework, where possible, to implement a phased returning to work, the ability to conduct onsite temperature and health checks, the availability of facemasks for employees, continuing to keep common areas closed and enforcing social distancing, limiting face-to-face meetings and providing special accommodations, sanitizer and hand wash stations and testing plans.
The Governor also announced a mandate that citizens out in public should be wearing masks starting on May 11.
The Governor said that by May 11, everybody working for or visiting an essential business that is reopening should be wearing a mask.
“This isn’t something you can be fined for, and again no one is going to be arrested for not wearing a mask,” the Governor said. “But should you if you’re going to the grocery store? Yes. Think about it: None of us knows if we are infected but asymptomatic with this virus. This protects you and other people.”

He said every Kentuckian should wear a mask when going to the grocery, into any place of business or any place where social distancing of keeping at least six-feet apart might be broken.