FRANKFORT — Kentucky officials are bracing for additional cases of the coronavirus in the Cynthiana area after a Harrison County resident was confirmed to have the virus Friday evening.

The county, north of Lexington, is taking preventative measures to further stop the spread of the virus, including closing schools and recommending that nursing homes restrict visitation.

"At this point, we expect more cases of the coronavirus to be confirmed in Kentucky, and we believe likely we will have additional cases in Harrison County," Gov. Andy Beshear said at a news conference Saturday afternoon in Frankfort with Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton and Cynthiana Mayor James Smith. "Because of that, people either in Harrison County or across Kentucky should not panic, but instead should be prepared."

However, a statement released by Harrison Memorial Hospital on Saturday called into question the state's response to its first known case of the coronavirus.

The patient came to the Cynthiana hospital with flu-like symptoms, but staff were told by the state Department for Public Health not to test for the coronavirus, the statement said. When the patient later returned and still exhibited symptoms, the state again told staff the patient did not qualify for testing.

However, the hospital still admitted the patient because of their serious condition and placed them into an isolation room.

That patient is now receiving treatment for the coronavirus at the University of Kentucky's Albert B. Chandler Hospital in Lexington and their condition is improving as of Saturday.

Cynthiana has roughly 6,000 residents and is about 30 miles northeast of Lexington.

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The rollout of coronavirus testing across the U.S. has been criticized for its slow start.

The initial test kits supplied to state public health labs by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention contained a flawed component, leading to delayed testing capabilities across the country as the virus spread further.

The CDC corrected the error and states have gradually been able to conduct testing on their own. Kentucky’s own public health lab became equipped to run COVID-19 tests on Monday.

When asked if the state was testing enough people, Beshear on Thursday said the state had been “testing appropriately.”

In a statement Saturday night, Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack said, “Like other states, Kentucky has been following the CDC guidelines for who and when to test. This individual was tested when CDC guidelines and clinician judgment determined testing was medically indicated.”

Beshear declared a state of emergency on Friday to ensure state agencies have the proper resources.

On Saturday, the governor said he and officials are recommending a series of preventative measures for Harrison County.

One of the measures is impacting the county's schools.

Harrison County Schools Superintendent Harry Burchett said in a statement later Saturday that schools will be closed next week and all school-related activities, including sports and extracurriculars, have been canceled until further notice.

The school district will utilize its "alternative learning model" known as "NTI," or nontraditional instruction, Burchett said.

"Harrison County Schools is prepared to deal with outbreaks of illness, such as the flu, and have done so for many years," Burchett said. "... This closure is not a result of any known exposure, rather a proactive approach to limit further exposure within our community."

Burchett added that school district staff members "will be assisting in the cleaning and disinfecting of buses, classrooms and other public spaces."

Nursing homes in Harrison County should also be closed to visitors for a week, and public gatherings should be delayed, Beshear said.

But Beshear is not advising businesses to close.

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Little is known about the patient who was diagnosed with the coronavirus, which causes a disease called COVID-19. Beshear said the patient "has been in serious condition" but that their condition is improving.

Once state epidemiologists conduct a process called "contact tracing" — working back through a person's travel history, who they came into contact with and where in public they had been — more information will be released. But, citing patient privacy laws, officials said they are not releasing more information about the patient at this time.

Beshear announced the positive test result Friday evening. At that point, 10 people in the state had been tested and the other nine results were negative. Beshear said four more people have since been tested, and their results came back negative. He did not say where in Kentucky those individuals live.

Judge-Executive Alex Barnett confirmed Friday night that the case was in Harrison County.

"While I was shocked to hear that news, we've been preparing for it for a while," Barnett said in a Facebook Live video. "We are prepared for it. We're going to tackle this thing head-on."

Kentucky's announcement Friday came the same day as news of Indiana's first case was announced in Indianapolis, and the day after Tennessee announced its first COVID-19 case in the greater Nashville area.

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Dr. Mark Newman, executive vice president for health affairs for the University of Kentucky, said UK has the resources to take care of many of the "sickest of these patients" when needed. The hospital is designed with "substantial isolation capabilities" that will protect both patients and health care providers.

"As we look forward, we want to be a resource, but the majority of these patients are going to be treated in their local hospitals and in their communities and some, at home," Newman said.

Despite the development in Harrison County, Beshear said the overall threat to Kentuckians is still low.

Anyone who is sick should still seek medical care and avoid going to work or school. Stack, the public health commissioner, said anyone who has a fever and cough and otherwise feels fine should seek guidance from health care officials by telephone.

"In a situation like this, people's fear of the unknown often outstrips what fear is really justified," Stack said. "If you would not normally seek medical care, or not normally go to an emergency department or a doctor's office, continue to behave as normal.

"But if you feel you have an emergency, by all means seek medical care as you feel you need to."

The CDC in Atlanta has revised its recommendations to advise people over age 60 and those with underlying conditions such as heart, lung and kidney disease to avoid large gatherings as much as possible.

Kentucky public health officials continue to recommend frequent hand-washing of at least 20 seconds and for anyone who has not yet gotten a flu shot to do so. Beshear said the flu has sickened more than 19,000 Kentuckians, leading to more than 60 deaths, including at least four children.

The state has announced an updated phone number for its coronavirus hotline: 1-800-722-5725.

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Reach Tessa Duvall at tduvall@courier-journal.com and 502-582-4059. Twitter: @TessaDuvall. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/subscribe.