Beshear to close bars, limit restaurants to takeout and drive-through; announces first Kentucky death from covid-19

As news develops in Kentucky about the coronavirus and its covid-19 disease, this page will be updated. Official state guidance is at https://kycovid19.ky.gov.

Monday, March 16, 2020

• Gov. Andy Beshear said today he will order closure of bars and restaurants, with some exceptions for delivery and drive-through, probably effective at 5 p.m.
• He encouraged Kentuckians to order takeout and delivery to support the restaurant industry, and said his family would do so three times a week.
• Acknowledging that the move will cost some people their jobs, Beshear said the waiting period and work-search requirements for unemployment benefits would be waived.
• The governor announced that a 66-year-old man from Bourbon County with covid-19 has died. He said it was only one factor, but will be counted as the first Kentucky death from the disease.
• Beshear said it remains unclear when large-scale testing will be available in the state; he said each time the state has received a timeline, it has been extended.

PROTECT YOURSELF AND OTHERS

Information about covid-19 in Kentucky can be found at kycovid19.ky.gov; to ask questions about the disease, call the state hotline at 1-800-722-5725.

Signs and symptoms of covid-9 include fever, cough, shortness of breath, but many people with the coronavirus have no symptoms, or may have the virus and be contagious for several days before developing symptoms.

If you develop symptoms and have been in close contact with a person known to have covid-19, or have recently traveled from an area with an ongoing spread of coronavirus, it is recommended that you seek medical advice.

The virus is thought to spread mainly from person to person through tiny droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

Measures to protect yourself include: washing your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds; only use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available; avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands; avoid close contact with people who are sick; stay home if you are sick; do not visit with seniors or people with chronic health conditions if you are sick; cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and then throw it away; get a flu shot; clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces; and engage in social distancing, which means trying to stay six feet apart.