The number of COVID-19 cases in Kentucky

, but if the number continues to rise can hospitals here handle it?

In Italy,

.

Medical officials in Lexington told WKYT’s Garrett Wymer that is why city and leaders are taking steps like closing schools, shutting down sporting events and urging folks to avoid crowds, to try to slow the spread so that Kentucky and the United States never get to that point.

Baptist Health has 434 beds at its Lexington hospital, according to a spokesperson. Officials there have worked with staff to prepare for COVID-19 cases, to limit visitors, and to have doctors and nurses conserve respirator masks

. Baptist Health leaders say they are ready to screen, assess and treat patients, and are assessing the hospital’s capacity daily.

"Certainly the majority of patients who contract COVID-19 will not need hospitalization,” said Dr. Stephen Toadvine, vice president of clinical support at Baptist Health. “So as a health system and as a community of healthcare providers we need to make sure we're providing the right advice and having folks receive the right care in the right place at the right time. Certainly we're prepared to care for those folks who will need hospitalization."

University of Kentucky HealthCare has 945 beds overall across its hospitals, including Good Samaritan,

Friday. They said 152 of those are isolation/negative pressure rooms. UK leaders said they have 140 ventilators, with 55 not in use at last check. We are told they also ordered 25 more ventilators Friday morning. They have restricted visitors and go over disaster preparedness plans daily, officials said.

"If that number were to start to rise, we have a disaster preparedness that starts to focus more on those patients and how we would manage those, and potentially not do elective cases or other things as we move into more of a diaster preparedness,” said Dr. Mark Newman, executive vice president of health affairs for UK HealthCare. “That would kick in as needed."

A spokesperson for CHI St. Joseph Health said right now St. Joseph Hospital and St. Joseph East in Lexington have 314 beds. Officials there said they also have limited visitors and are working with health departments and other officials on community response.

That brings the total to about 2,000 beds citywide in Lexington. See how many hospital beds are in your county in the

below.

to call their doctor before going to the doctor’s office if they do not feel well. They might want you to stay at home instead. If it is an emergency, do not hesitate to get the help you need. The rule of thumb, officials said, is do not seek care now if you would not for the same issue without the current pandemic.