37 reported dead today from covid-19, the state’s deadliest day yet; Beshear notes White House report commends his actions
Kentucky Health News graph; for a larger version, click on it.
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“The time we really need to be coming together and doing the right things is right now because the ramifications if we don’t are the most severe of any time in the virus,” Beshear said. adding later, “Now is the time where action is necessary; inaction is deadly.”
“Sometimes we feel like this virus is being politicized and the steps that we take are being politicized,” said Beshear. “Well, this is Donald Trump’s White House, so if there are those in the state and different parties that disagree with me, they’re disagreeing with Donald Trump’s White House.
Stack said they and the Trump administration are “not agreeing on every single point, but agreeing on the vast majority of points. And so you’re getting fairly similar guidance on most of the big topics from two very different administrations.”
The report called on officials to alert the public: “It must be made clear that if you are over 65 or have significant health conditions, you should not enter any indoor public spaces where anyone is unmasked due to the immediate risk to your health; you should have groceries and medications delivered.”
White House Coronavirus Task Force graph, labeled by Ky. Health News; for a larger image, click it. |
Michael Rodriguez |
Beshear honored the life of Michael Rodriguez, who was a nurse at Norton Audubon Hospital in Louisville for 26 years. Rodriguez died at 67 from covid-19 on Nov. 20. He is survived by a brother, sister, a fiancé, and three nephews.
Beshear said, “The director of Norton Audubon Hospital, Randy Hamilton, said he’d never seen anything like the hospital after Michael’s passing – he had made such a positive impact on everyone. From those who cleaned the hospital, to the nurses, doctors and patients – everyone was devastated by this loss. Today we mask up in honor of Michael, his family, and his incredible team members at Norton Audubon who are mourning this devastating loss, but still showing up each day to care for our people.”
- Today’s deaths were an Allen County man, 61; a woman, 80, and men 49 and 94 from Boone County; a Campbell County man, 82; a woman, 90, and four men, 48, 61, 62 and 93, from Daviess County; a woman, 86, and men 74 and 86 from Fayette County; a Floyd County woman, 62; Franklin County women 71 and 90; a Graves County man, 84; a Grayson County woman, 70; a Hardin County man, 58; a Henderson County woman, 46; a Hopkins County man, 88; a man, 87, and women 83 and 96 from Jefferson County; Jessamine County men 67, 74 and 90; two women, 81 and 82, and a man, 85, from Kenton County; two McLean County women, 61; a Monroe County woman, 95; a Montgomery County woman, 59; an Ohio County man, 85; a Trigg County man, 82; and a Warren County man, 46.
- Counties with 10 or more new cases were Jefferson, 686; Fayette, 219; Boone, 145; Hardin, 138; Kenton, 118; Warren, 103; Madison, 96; Daviess, 91; Laurel, 76; Bullitt, 71; Campbell, 69; Marion, 67; Clay, 56; McCracken, 55; Oldham, 50; Nelson, 49; Boyd, 48; Boyle, Christian and Pike, 46; Scott, 45; Jessamine, 41; Henderson, 40; Franklin and Whitley, 37; Perry, 36; Hart and Hopkins, 35; Lincoln, 34; Greenup, 33; Pulaski, 32; Barren, 30; Taylor, 29; Graves and Rowan, 28; Calloway and Grant, 27; Clark, Montgomery and Shelby, 24; Gallatin, 22; Washington, 21; Anderson and Magoffin, 20; Simpson, 19; Floyd and Woodford, 17; Knox, Lawrence and Rockcastle, 16; Bell, Bourbon and Johnson, 15; Adair, Edmonson, Logan, Marshall, Pendleton and Todd, 14; Carter, Garrard, Leslie, Ohio and Webster, 13; Harlan and Lewis, 12; Monroe, 11; and Bath, Clinton, Grayson, Russell and Union, 10.
- In long-term care, the state reported 2,145 active cases among residents and 1,143 among staff, with 141 new resident cases and 87 new staff cases. There have been 1,274 resident deaths and seven staff deaths, with 16 resident deaths confirmed today.
- Beshear said 379 of the new cases were Kentuckians 18 and under.
- J. Michael Brown, Beshear’s cabinet secretary, said 2,706 inmates and 425 corrections staff have had the virus, and that 310 inmates and 82 staff are still active cases. He said 19 inmates have died of covid-19, including two confirmed today, and two staff members.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now says a two-week coronavirus quarantine can be shortened to 10 days, or even seven. While the CDC continues to recommend a 14-day quarantine for people exposed to the virus, it is now offering two other “acceptable alternatives” as a way to increase compliance, especially among the working public.
- The first option would end the quarantine 10 days after exposure for those who have no symptoms and have not been tested. “CDC officials said research shows there’s anywhere between a 1% to 12% “residual risk” that someone remains infected after a 10-day quarantine period has ended, “an acceptable risk for many,” reports Katie Camero of McClatchy Newspapers.
- The second option would end the quarantine after seven days, but only if that person tested negative and had no symptoms. “This alternative . . . carries a 5% to 10% risk that the person is still positive after a 7-day quarantine period,” Camero writes.
- Asked about the recommendations, Beshear said state officials are reviewing them and he hopes to have a decision by Thursday on whether the state will change its quarantine guidance.
- The CDC also issued new holiday travel guidance that urges Americans to stay home, and to get tested one to three days before their trip—and to not travel if the result is positive—and again three to five days after if they do travel. In addition, they recommend reducing non-essential activities for a full week after travel or for 10 days if not tested. The guidance cautions that “testing does not eliminate all risk, but it can help make travel safer.” And for 14 days after travel, social distance, wear a mask, practice good hand hygiene, avoid being around people who are at increased risk of severe illness and monitor for any symptoms of the virus.
- Brewed, a Lexington coffee shop that defied Beshear’s ban on indoor service, was ordered to close by a circuit judge Tuesday, Jeremy Chisenhall reports for the Herald-Leader. Beshear said the coffee shop since ceased operations.
- Billy Kobin of the Louisville Courier Journal explores several perspectives about re-opening schools to in-person learning, noting that the issue is far from settled. For now, Beshear’s executive order has shut down elementary schools to in-person learning until Dec. 7, and then only if they are in a county with lower community spread, and the upper grades are closed to in-person learning until Jan. 4.
- The Kentucky Blood Center is searching for people who have recovered from covid-19 to donate plasma, WDRB reports.
- WKYT offers a report that shows where coronavirus cases increased the most in November, noting that the number of cases more than doubled in 25 of the state’s 120 counties.
- USA Today answers questions about coronavirus vaccines, and offers an online form for you to ask anything they haven’t addressed.
- A vaccine may still be months away for children, NPR reports.
- The World Health Organization has tightened its mask guidelines, telling people who live in areas with high community spread to wear their mask at all times in stores, workplaces and schools with low ventilation — and when you can’t physically distance by at least three feet in enclosed areas, even at home. It adds that health care workers should wear N95 masks when caring for covid-19 patients, The Hill reports.
- Ben Chandler, president and CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, told ABC News that Kentucky not only faces logistical challenges to distribute coronavirus vaccines, but also challenges around trust, which makes it even more important to make sure trusted sources are chosen to be the messengers for immunization.
Here’s the White House task force national map; for a larger one, click on it.