Coronavirus: 6 confirmed cases in Kentucky, 4 in Indiana Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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evening, we have a another update on the Corona virus here in Kentucky. Again, it is expected, and we're ready. The most important thing for the public is to remain calm, to practice good hygiene and understand. We're all going to get through this. We're gonna get through it together, and we're gonna get through it by having good practices. As time goes on, we will have more positive cases. Way need to expect that. Eso tonight we can report that we ran 13 cases today to new positives. 11 negatives are new. Positive cases are won from Harrison County on one from one in Fayette County. We don't know that that person at this time is a fake county resident. We have no additional details on those cases tonight. We should have more details at 9 a.m. Tomorrow when we will hold our next briefing. We do know that both individuals are in isolation. So this brings Kentucky's total number of positive cases. 263 of those cases are in Harrison County too, are being treated in Fayette County and one is in Jefferson County. So once again, we're ready. We're gonna have Maur positive tests come back as as time moves on. Stay calm. Practice good hygiene. Wash your hands. Wash them thoroughly. Washed them repeatedly. If you are sick, do not goto work if you are. If your child is sick, do not go to school. Some of the most important information that we can give right now is we all have to protect our most vulnerable populations those air people with, ah, heart, liver or kidney disease. There certainly are seniors. The CDC is talking about 60 and older, but certainly those older than that to those seniors avoid crowds. And I'm gonna go ahead and say, Don't fly. That is our advice and certainly do not get on a cruise ship. That was some of the information today from our call with the vice president and others. Everybody has the duty here. When it comes to the most vulnerable populations in Kentucky, we need to make sure that not only do we practice the type of good hygiene Thio to protect us and our families, but that we also need to practice good hygiene so that we don't infect other folks because most people that get this is Dr Stack has said might not show symptoms at all or they would be very mild. We have an important duty to make sure that we're not the person that ultimately infects someone that has a harder time battling this than than others. The state is being active and aggressive in the way that we respond to this. We have a state of emergency's we've called, gives us every tool that is available. We have had we have activated our emergency operations center. Now, we've had an executive order and, um, steps we've taken in Medicaid to try to alleviate any costs related to testing. And we're gonna have more steps tomorrow. And as we move forward to make sure that we're doing everything possible and that we're reacting as fast as as the information that we get, So, uh, again, Kentucky is now up to six positive cases and folks, we're gonna have more. That doesn't mean we're not ready. We are. And it doesn't mean that people should should overly worry. We've just got to make sure that we take the necessary steps as we move forward and we will come out on this of the other side. And I noticed so many families. It's scary. We're gonna be okay. Just listen to the important steps. Follow them on, and we will get through this together. So with that, I know there's not a lot of additional information tonight, but we're happy to take questions. I think we're gonna be able to provide more information tomorrow, including some of that information you know, changes when you have just one individual case. And where that information might identify the individual so early that the epidemiologists don't have the opportunity. But as we go forward, I think we're going to be able to provide more of that. And you can expect some of that tomorrow morning of the Louisville pastor. Few state officials know if he had a conductor on the virus Point. He was here. Let me turn that over to Dr Freelander. Uh, our Eric Freelander. I just made you a doctor. You were there today for that shit, right? I don't I don't believe we know. Um, that is not something that, uh, we would have any riel idea about at this point. When did the state become aware of that? Right. Wasn't What was that? Someone for the state. I don't believe we have that information at this point. I think we primarily found out when when you all heard about it is the same time that we did it. And I believe earlier today what what Dr Stack talked about. It's just because someone has it doesn't mean they're transmitting it. And I think that context is important for the public to know when they hear that someone in their community as had it. So if the person that that that has it is also practicing good hygiene, which is really important the social distancing, the six feet washing, their hands, doing those things, then they might not be transmitting it to other people. So again, it's important that people know and have the facts. It's also important that those facts Aaron context so that people could be mindful but ultimately not lose their mind to make sure that we don't cost fear. We just cost preparation absolutely s. So we're having those conversations. Their ongoing in one of the steps that we're taking right now is we're doubling our cleaning as it's done here in the capital. We're also going through the protocols to make sure we're cleaning correctly Um and we're looking at other options as this evolves ways that within the capital, people could still be here to do business. But perhaps we engage in that type of social distancing. Um ah, there's a number of different steps that that could be taken. We're looking at best practices, many of which have to do with business. Is Andi while we still don't have one here in Franklin County, Those air, all things that we are considering and we'll adjust us as the situation warrants it. I'd repeat that we learn something new every day. This is a virus that didn't exist. At least we didn't know about it two and 1/2 months ago. On when wide scale testing becomes available through private labs, we will probably learn a lot more. So we take the best science we have. We take the guidelines from the CDC, we respond using those appropriately. But a lot will change as we move forward. And we ought to expect that it was three. Now on Harrison. Yes. So do we know Wheat Week Way Oughta have more information on the on the new test. The new positive case tomorrow the two that we've previously been able to disclose are linked. We were not able to talk about that link yet, but we hope to be able to do so again once the epidemiologists just have a chance to get a little bit of their work. Don? Yes. Is that person in the hospital? Yes. Yes, they are house those those. That meeting was purely informational. We did not provide any information that we haven't provided to you. I believe we provided all the same information this morning. I've got my notes from it that we provided. I'm happy to answer any questions about it with a state of emergency. We just wanted legislators to be able to ask any question that was on their mind and have an open dialogue. But there were no recommendations, no requests of them. There were no additional requests of us. Way got it. We met with leadership earlier today. I told them where we are on the cleaning. I also talked to them about general potential steps we might take as the situation warrants it. But again, those air all planning steps that will advise you on if and when we have to take them But there's there's it's about being thoughtful. If you look through the guidance on social distancing on hand, sanitizer on on areas like that, it's it's it's all just simply applying that as we need to here in the capital s Oh, it's a little early, but I can commit that we will spend every dollar that we need to to address the Corona virus. We've already declared a state of emergency, which opens up a pool of money that is directly appropriated. But we also have the ability to doom. Or I'll tell you that legislative leadership when we met with them today is ah appears to be fully willing to work with us on whatever we need. I believe everybody is is united in this and the feedback that I've gotten thus far as you tell us what you need. As long as it's reasonable, we want to make sure we help. You had any discussions with leadership about SP to A to build Senator McGarvey um, filed Not about not not about the bill itself on dhe Senator McGarvey. I know it is trying to respond to all of this. The only conversations we've had is let's make sure that we're not taking our people off the front lines where they're working for for other things right now on. And I believe we have everybody's commitment there. Everybody wants to help. We maybe see some bills filed that in the short term, and this isn't one wouldn't help. All we'll do is communicate that, and I'm sure those legislators will respond appropriately. All of our interaction with our legislators has been extremely positive, because everybody wants to respond to this in an appropriate way. UK Hospital said that it's running low on something protective state have us applied. So we're working right now. Both, um, as a state and with our emergency management center open to look at all the options that air there, I'll let Dr Stock talk about our state supply, But we're also looking at the potential if we need to from private vendors. I know the federal government is working on this. We're not gonna wait for that. We're gonna look for every solution in every creative solution, and there may be some interim solutions to because they're different types of respirators, for instance. And while some of them might not be perfect they are better, and we're gonna do everything we can, Dr Stock. So with respect, personal protective equipment or P p e. We do have some resource is that we can share. We have a process that necessary parties can go through to request that on the vice president's call today, we were informed that the FDA has said that the commercial grade in 95 respirators that people use for sanding and painting and other things that they've given under the emergency conditions. We have approval that those could be used as a substitute even in health care facilities if they are unable to get the medical grade ones. And so that was good news because there's a much larger reservoir of commercial grade and 95 respirators. Should people need them has a snake. How many times position has requested testing? Do we track that? Uh, can you explain a little bit more what you mean by that? Like as a doctor said, someone has these symptoms. I think they need to test us the state track. How many times What? Oh, uh, they probably at a later point time, they record all of the calls that come in not not video or audio record, but they document every call that comes in in the request in the action that they recommend. So I don't have that data because the team is busy working on making sure everybody who needs evaluation and needs care and information is doing it at some later point. That may be available, but not right now. The way the calls go and even going back to that first Harrison County are very collaborative, as opposed to an order. It's the physician reaching out and discussing the patient and the CDC guidelines as they exist at the time. And I believe most all of our calls have come to a collaborative decision between folks. But that doesn't mean I mean, the CDC has changed their guidelines, the one who should be tested since we conducted our first series of tests, and they're gonna do so again on and so we do our best to follow what they have, Um, with our resource is and again, the, uh, the knowledge that we have is gonna entirely change once the private labs they're fully up in online. Two of them are online. Now they're ramping up their capacity. They're two of the larger national ones. But as universities and others come online, we're gonna learn, we're gonna learn a lot, and there's gonna be much more widespread availability. What's the official tally on how many tests have been conducted and how many are still pending? The results s so let me get the total number. It would be the total number we had run plus 13. What is it? We have run 34. Um, and I believe we have gotten a result from each one of those 34 now. So six positive and 28. That's what I thought. Negative. So sorry. I'm kind of stuck on testing, you know, change. But I'm is there cause for concern that something might not fall apart to the test, But have it like in that situation? Well, I think there's a CZ. We learn more about the Corona virus it could be, and it's likely that it's more widespread than we believe it is. But when we've got a limited number of tests as it's still ramping up, I think what they're looking for are the most vulnerable populations that people who show the most symptoms making sure that we can get those tests in those circumstances. But all these health care professionals are doing the very best they can with something that is two and 1/2 months old. You know what the very into this will have learned a whole lot about it. Um, And as we go, I just I think it's important that we react appropriately and do the best we can again. We got the news this morning that that very first patient is improving, and that's really good news. It still takes 12 hours for justice. We can potentially get it done in less than that if we get a case, because there are multiple tests in a case. But a case is one individual. By noon on a day we can get it processed by. Right now, we're aiming for six, but but that? But that day, if it comes afternoon, it could take until the next day eso where some of these may be in slightly shorter than the 12 hours. But that turnaround time is one of my beliefs and why we're reporting some more cases than some other states. I don't think we've been hit harder I just think we are more aggressive and how we're responding. I think that's a good thing for our people. And having the state lab get up online earlier helps us. And, well, we don't want to see positive cases. It does mean that we know. And it means those people can be treated. And it's and again, it's it's much better to know than to not with that individual. All right, well, we will have more information at 9 a.m. tomorrow. Thank you.

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