Friday, May 29, 2020
Can forest therapy enhance health and well-being?
The beauty of the outdoors naturally encourages people to go outside, inhale fresh air, listen to the birds, take a walk, or watch the wind animate the branches of the steadfast neighboring trees. The pull toward the natural world is present even in normal times. Now, as we’re confined indoors by the coronavirus pandemic, often spending hours in front of inanimate screens, the urge to be outside is ever more acute. One way to satisfy these urges while improving our health and well-being is forest therapy, a practice growing in popularity around the world.
What is forest therapy?
Inspired by the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing,” forest therapy is a guided outdoor healing practice. Unlike a hike or guided nature walk aimed at identifying trees or birds, forest therapy relies on trained guides, who set a deliberately slow pace and invite people to experience the pleasures of nature through all of their senses. It encourages people to be present in the body, enjoying the sensation of being alive and deriving profound benefits from the relationship between ourselves and the rest of the natural world.
Shinrin-yoku started in Japan in the 1980s in response to a national health crisis. Leaders in Japan noticed a spike in stress-related illnesses, attributed to people spending more time working in technology and other industrial work. Certified trails were created to guide people in outdoor experiences. Decades of research show that forest bathing may help reduce stress, improve attention, boost immunity, and lift mood.
How does forest therapy affect the body?
Stress raises levels of the hormone cortisol. Long-term stress and chronic elevations in cortisol play a role in high blood pressure, heart disease, headaches, and many other ailments. In test subjects, levels of cortisol decreased after a walk in the forest, compared with people who walked in a laboratory setting.
Trees give off volatile essential oils called phytoncides that have antimicrobial properties and may influence immunity. One Japanese study showed a rise in number and activity of immune cells called natural killer cells, which fight viruses and cancer, among people who spent three days and two nights in a forest versus people who took an urban trip. This benefit lasted for more than a month after the forest trip!
Don’t worry if you don’t have three days to spend in the forest. A recent study in the United Kingdom of nearly 20,000 people showed that spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature improved self-reported health and well-being. It doesn’t matter whether the 120 minutes represents one long trip, or several shorter visits to nature. So, even as we are honoring physical distancing, we can get outside for 20 minutes every day and enhance our well-being.
Some research suggests exposure to natural tree oils helps lift depression, lowers blood pressure, and may also reduce anxiety. Tree oils also contain 3-carene. Studies in animals suggest this substance may help lessen inflammation, protect against infection, lower anxiety, and even enhance the quality of sleep.
Even people confined to a hospital bed may benefit from viewing nature. A small study published decades ago compared people who recovered from gallbladder surgery in a room with a window onto a natural outdoor view with people who recovered from the same surgery in a hospital room with a view of a brick wall. People who could see nature recovered more quickly and needed less powerful pain medication than people who could not see nature.
And one intriguing study found benefit in green roofs. Participants were asked to look at nature in a green roof or concrete for 40 seconds while the researchers measured attention. According to this study, green spaces are restorative and boost attention, while viewing concrete worsens attention during tasks.
Finding a forest therapy guide
The Association of Nature and Forest Therapy trains and certifies forest therapy guides across the world. Guides help people forge a partnership with nature through a series of invitations that allow participants to become attentive to the forest, to deepen their relationship with nature, and allow the natural world to promote healing and well-being.
Ultimately, guides support what the forests have to offer us, inviting participants into practices that deepen physical presence, pleasure, and partnership with nature. When we connect with nature in this way, we are connecting with ourselves.
The post Can forest therapy enhance health and well-being? appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.
Thursday, May 28, 2020
Most of Kentucky's Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinic are testing for the coronavirus; anyone can get a test
By David Bolt
CEO, Kentucky Primary Care Association
The covid-19 pandemic has amplified the importance of health-care providers, networks and collaborations in our local communities. In particular, the Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) and Rural Health Clinics (RHC) are providing essential services to help keep our local populations healthy.
At the Kentucky Primary Care Association our mission is to promote access to comprehensive, community-oriented primary health care services for the under-served. As part of our work, we are proud to partner with the FQHC and RHC facilities to provide resources, technical and operating assistance, and support for their innovative care delivery models. They are an essential component of a health-care system that serves all people, in every corner of our great state. These facilities provide access to high-quality care, improve health outcomes, and reduce health disparities. They also have a tremendous economic impact by creating direct jobs in more than 300 Kentucky communities.
Our FQHC and RHC partners are helping lead the way in the covid-19 pandemic response. They are collaborating with other local healthcare professionals, the Kentucky Department for Public Health, local health departments, federal experts, and other healthcare entities working to develop strategies to defeat covid-19. They are vital partners who can reach vulnerable populations in both urban and rural settings. Time and again these clinics and health centers, which operate in nearly 100 counties, step up to deliver front line care to our citizens who need it most.
Our data indicates the majority of FQHC and RHC facilities in Kentucky are involved in drive-thru testing and/or are planning their role in antibody testing. Around 60 percent of those sites are open to the general public. Anyone who wants a test can get a test. Increasing our testing capacity is paramount to gathering the data we need to make well informed decisions. Experts are also able to use the testing experience from these facilities to generate data that can be used to make future decisions about personal protective equipment distribution, supplies, packaging, and other elements involved in the testing process.
All frontline health-care workers are to be applauded for their selfless, heroic actions “on the front lines” during this pandemic. We know many heroes work at hospitals, doctors’ offices, nursing homes, with the state department for public health, at local health departments, and at other healthcare facilities. We also want to highlight the many dedicated providers, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who go to work every day at a FQHC or RHC to keep Kentuckians safe and healthy. Thank you!
To find the FQHC and/or RHC in your community go to: https://kpca.net/map/ql/health-care and search the category map.
The Kentucky Primary Care Association was founded in 1976 as a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation of community health centers, rural health clinics, primary care centers and all other organizations and individuals concerned about access to health care services for the state’s under-served rural and urban populations. KPCA is charged with promoting the mutual interests of our members, with a mission to promote access to comprehensive, community-oriented primary health care services for the under-served. To lean more, visit https://kpca.net/
The covid-19 pandemic has amplified the importance of health-care providers, networks and collaborations in our local communities. In particular, the Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) and Rural Health Clinics (RHC) are providing essential services to help keep our local populations healthy.
 |
| David Bolt |
Our FQHC and RHC partners are helping lead the way in the covid-19 pandemic response. They are collaborating with other local healthcare professionals, the Kentucky Department for Public Health, local health departments, federal experts, and other healthcare entities working to develop strategies to defeat covid-19. They are vital partners who can reach vulnerable populations in both urban and rural settings. Time and again these clinics and health centers, which operate in nearly 100 counties, step up to deliver front line care to our citizens who need it most.
Our data indicates the majority of FQHC and RHC facilities in Kentucky are involved in drive-thru testing and/or are planning their role in antibody testing. Around 60 percent of those sites are open to the general public. Anyone who wants a test can get a test. Increasing our testing capacity is paramount to gathering the data we need to make well informed decisions. Experts are also able to use the testing experience from these facilities to generate data that can be used to make future decisions about personal protective equipment distribution, supplies, packaging, and other elements involved in the testing process.
All frontline health-care workers are to be applauded for their selfless, heroic actions “on the front lines” during this pandemic. We know many heroes work at hospitals, doctors’ offices, nursing homes, with the state department for public health, at local health departments, and at other healthcare facilities. We also want to highlight the many dedicated providers, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who go to work every day at a FQHC or RHC to keep Kentuckians safe and healthy. Thank you!
To find the FQHC and/or RHC in your community go to: https://kpca.net/map/ql/health-care and search the category map.
The Kentucky Primary Care Association was founded in 1976 as a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation of community health centers, rural health clinics, primary care centers and all other organizations and individuals concerned about access to health care services for the state’s under-served rural and urban populations. KPCA is charged with promoting the mutual interests of our members, with a mission to promote access to comprehensive, community-oriented primary health care services for the under-served. To lean more, visit https://kpca.net/
Can celiac disease affect life expectancy?
Celiac disease (CD), triggered by the ingestion of gluten, occurs in people genetically predisposed to develop the chronic autoimmune condition.
During the past few decades, doctors have learned much about how the disease develops, including genetic and other risk factors. However, results from studies on whether people with CD have an increased risk of premature death linked to the condition have been mixed. A recent study shows a small but statistically significant increased mortality rate.
Celiac disease can affect the entire body
Until recently, CD was considered a mainly pediatric gastrointestinal disorder, associated with symptoms of abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, and bloating, and characterized by damage to the villi of the small intestine. (Villi are tiny, fingerlike projections lining the small intestine that help the body absorb nutrients.)
With the development of accurate blood tests and large-scale screenings, we have identified CD as a truly systemic disorder that can develop at any age and affect nearly any tissue or organ in the body. People with CD may experience joint pain, osteopenia or osteoporosis, bone fracture, rash, and psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety and depression.
The environmental trigger for CD — gluten — is known. When we remove gluten (a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley) from the diet of people with CD, they usually experience an improvement or resolution of symptoms. Their blood tests return to normal and their small intestine heals.
Celiac disease may affect life expectancy
Studies evaluating CD and mortality have had conflicting results, with some studies showing up to a twofold increase in mortality, and others showing no increased risk. In addition, we have not yet identified how CD may alter life expectancy. Some think that it might be partly related to chronic inflammation, leading to the development of osteopenia and bone fractures, complications from associated conditions such as type 1 diabetes, or rarely, the development of intestinal lymphoma (a type of cancer).
A recent study published in JAMA found a small but significant increased risk of mortality in people with CD. Interestingly, people with CD were at an increased risk of death in all age groups studied, but mortality was greater in those diagnosed between the ages of 18 and 39. Researchers found that the risk of death was increased in the first year after diagnosis, but this persisted even 10 years later. The increase in mortality in patients with CD was related to cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory disease, and other unspecified causes.
Dietary changes and routine medical care may help reduce risks
The slight increase in mortality risk does not suggest that we need to manage CD differently. However, these findings do highlight areas for patients and physicians to focus on in an effort to possibly reduce these risks.
For example, research suggests that inadequate intake of whole grains, along with insufficient fiber intake, is a leading cause of disease and death worldwide. Specifically, lower intake of whole grains is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Given the limitations of a gluten-free diet, it is possible that people with CD eat fewer whole grains than those on an unrestricted diet. Thus, individuals with CD should consume a diet rich in whole grains that do not contain gluten, such as oats, quinoa, and amaranth.
In addition, patients with CD were found to have an increased risk of death related to respiratory disease. As part of routine care after diagnosis, patients should speak with their doctor about pneumococcal vaccines, which can reduce the risk of some respiratory infections. This is not yet common in most healthcare practices, so ask your doctor about this if he or she does not bring it up.
Chronic inflammation is likely a factor in the association of CD with increased mortality. With this in mind, physicians should consider a repeat intestinal biopsy to look for ongoing inflammation, even though this study did not find an increased risk of death in people whose intestine did not heal on a gluten-free diet.
After the intestine has healed, patients should visit their physician and dietitian yearly to review their gluten-free diet, undergo evaluation for other possible autoimmune conditions, and to discuss the need for vitamin supplementation. Routine follow-up care, pneumococcal vaccination, and a diet rich in whole grains, fiber, fruits, and vegetables should also help.
Follow me on Twitter @celiacdoc
The post Can celiac disease affect life expectancy? appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
400 Kentuckians have died of covid-19; Beshear confronts the politics of masks and resistance of some local officials to testing
By Melissa Patrick
On the day when the national covid-19 death toll passed 100,000, Gov. Andy Beshear announced that with the addition of six new deaths, Kentucky's toll from the pandemic has hit 400.
"I want to you to be patient and kind and tolerant of each other so that we don't have something like this -- which is a simple public-health step to try to keep people safe -- turn into strife and conflict among ourselves," he said.
Stack stressed that there is no disagreement among public-health professionals about the importance of wearing a mask to slow the spread of the disease, since we know that the virus is spread by the spit and saliva from our mouths when we talk, cough, sneeze and sing -- and that many have the virus, but no symptoms.
He said some Kentuckians may not understand how bad the pandemic could have been in Kentucky if he and Beshear had not taken all the measures they did to slow its spread.
"I think we forget because we didn't have the same magnitude of crisis we might have had, because we didn't live in Kentucky what they lived through in New York City," Stack said. "We didn't see the horrors at the scale that they had to see in other places and I think that that's made this feel too distant and too removed from our present reality."
Beshear cautioned that as the economy reopens, it's even more important to keep our hands washed and wear a mask, reminding Kentuckians that the novel coronavirus is easily carried into long-term-care facilities, where most of Kentucky's covid-19 deaths have occurred.
"Remember, it gets into these facilities somehow. It's not just starting there," he said. "It's passed between people outside these facilities and brought in there."
Testing issues
He also called for more people -- especially in Western Kentucky, where infection rates are highest -- to take advantage of the free Kroger-sponsored testing sites. He noted that there are still hundreds of empty slots available in Bowling Green and Henderson.
The day before, Beshear called on local officials in the region to encourage their constituents to get tested, revealing that some had rejected testing sites while those in Bowling Green had set a good example.
"None of this, 'We don't want testing, so we don't know there's a problem'," he said. "Our Warren County leaders haven't done that, though we've had some others that have declined testing sites. That is turning your back on your people. We've got to know the level of our problem if we are going to protect the people that are out there. That means we have testing everywhere so we make sure we keep people safe."
Beshear said officials in Shelby County, which recently had a 50 percent increase in cases among Hispanics,"turned down a Walmart testing facility. We thought that that was interesting, but ultimately the health department and the county judge have to make decisions on that."
Citing federal and state health officials, Beshear said, "The only way that we can reopen our economy safely is if we have significant testing, and that requires you the people of Kentucky to be willing to get tested and get tested regularly."
In other covid-19 news Wednesday:
Kentucky Health News
On the day when the national covid-19 death toll passed 100,000, Gov. Andy Beshear announced that with the addition of six new deaths, Kentucky's toll from the pandemic has hit 400.
"Let's all acknowledge that losing 400 people to anything, at any time, for any reason, isn't OK," Beshear said at his daily briefing. "Let's just remember that we've lost 400 Kentuckians, and this thing isn't over yet."
The governor and Health Commissioner Steven Stack spent much of their briefing saying why masks are needed, and addressing the politics of that.
The governor and Health Commissioner Steven Stack spent much of their briefing saying why masks are needed, and addressing the politics of that.
"Masks have somehow become this division among people," Beshear said. "Yes, they're not comfortable; and yes, they can be hard to breathe from; and yes, they keep people from seeing your beautiful face; but they protect people."
As Stack urged all Kentuckians to wear a mask, he also encouraged those with divergent views to be respectful of each other, asking those who choose to not wear a mask to not ridicule those who do, and asking those who do wear one to protect themselves by giving a wide berth to those who don't.
"I want to you to be patient and kind and tolerant of each other so that we don't have something like this -- which is a simple public-health step to try to keep people safe -- turn into strife and conflict among ourselves," he said.
He said some Kentuckians may not understand how bad the pandemic could have been in Kentucky if he and Beshear had not taken all the measures they did to slow its spread.
"I think we forget because we didn't have the same magnitude of crisis we might have had, because we didn't live in Kentucky what they lived through in New York City," Stack said. "We didn't see the horrors at the scale that they had to see in other places and I think that that's made this feel too distant and too removed from our present reality."
Beshear cautioned that as the economy reopens, it's even more important to keep our hands washed and wear a mask, reminding Kentuckians that the novel coronavirus is easily carried into long-term-care facilities, where most of Kentucky's covid-19 deaths have occurred.
"Remember, it gets into these facilities somehow. It's not just starting there," he said. "It's passed between people outside these facilities and brought in there."
Testing issues
He also called for more people -- especially in Western Kentucky, where infection rates are highest -- to take advantage of the free Kroger-sponsored testing sites. He noted that there are still hundreds of empty slots available in Bowling Green and Henderson.
The day before, Beshear called on local officials in the region to encourage their constituents to get tested, revealing that some had rejected testing sites while those in Bowling Green had set a good example.
"None of this, 'We don't want testing, so we don't know there's a problem'," he said. "Our Warren County leaders haven't done that, though we've had some others that have declined testing sites. That is turning your back on your people. We've got to know the level of our problem if we are going to protect the people that are out there. That means we have testing everywhere so we make sure we keep people safe."
Beshear said officials in Shelby County, which recently had a 50 percent increase in cases among Hispanics,"turned down a Walmart testing facility. We thought that that was interesting, but ultimately the health department and the county judge have to make decisions on that."
Citing federal and state health officials, Beshear said, "The only way that we can reopen our economy safely is if we have significant testing, and that requires you the people of Kentucky to be willing to get tested and get tested regularly."
Asked how often a person should be tested, he said that while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not issued guidelines on that yet, he advised anyone regularly in the workforce to get tested about once a month if they are not showing symptoms, and immediately if they are.
The free drive-thru Kroger testing next week will be Louisville, Lexington, Elizabethtown and Bowling Green; sign ups are now open. So far, at least 200,762 tests have been done in Kentucky.
Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman said the Team Kentucky Fund, which is available to Kentuckian who have lost employment or have had their hours or wages cut by half or more because of the pandemic, has received more than 1,900 applications for assistance.
Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman said the Team Kentucky Fund, which is available to Kentuckian who have lost employment or have had their hours or wages cut by half or more because of the pandemic, has received more than 1,900 applications for assistance.
The $3.2 million fund is available to all Kentuckians, but Coleman especially urged people in Breathitt, Fleming, Harlan, Knott, Knox, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Mason and Wolfe counties to apply because they had received few applications from those counties. Click here to apply.
In other covid-19 news Wednesday:
- Beshear announced 127 new cases of the coroanvirus, bringing the adjusted total to 9,077. "Our numbers today continue to suggest that we are no longer in a plateau, but on a decline," he said.
- The counties with the highest number of new cases were Jefferson, 35; Boone, 11; Ohio, 10; Fayette, 7; Shelby, 6; and Oldham, 5.
- The latest deaths were of a 71-year-old man and a 97-year-old woman from Boone County; a 78-year-old man from Hopkins County; two men, 77 and 79, from Jefferson County; and an 88-year-old man from Oldham County.
- Beshear said 512 people were in hospital with covid-19, and 82 of them are in intensive care. At least 3,124 people have recovered from the virus. Click here for the state's daily report.
- In long-term care facilities, Beshear reported that 15 more residents and 16 more staff have tested positive for the virus, for a total of 1,185 and 563 respectively. He said five more residents have died of covid-19 in the last several days, bringing the death toll up to 239 resident deaths and two staff deaths, in 120 facilities. Click here for the daily long-term care facility report.
- Beshear said the first 10 minutes of tomorrow's briefing will feature videos for young children, one about masks and the other about anxiety.
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
Coronavirus cases decline, but more nursing homes are infected, and Kentuckians' behavior and attitude worry health officials
 |
| Kentucky Health News chart shows daily cases and the trendline for the last two weeks. |
By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News
Amid an encouraging decline in Kentucky coronavirus cases, the number of nursing homes with cases took a big jump, and unhealthy behavior and lack of testing signups made officials worry.
The state confirmed 141 new cases Sunday, 122 Monday and 117 Tuesday, reversing last week's slight uptick and accelerating the downward trend over the last two weeks, the period that federal officials say state officials should watch as they reopen their economies.
Weekend numbers are often reduced by limited reporting, but the Lexington Herald-Leader reports the latest three-day average was 127, the lowest since April 17. The number of deaths has also declined, to only three in the last three days, raising the state toll to 394.
“These are some of the lowest daily numbers we have seen,” Gov. Andy Beshear said. “But that is fragile, and with a disease that can so easily spread we have to want and put into action our desire to continue to see that downward movement.”
The bad news is that 26 more long-term-care facilities have had at least one case of the coronavirus, bringing the total to 105, and one had a major outbreak.
Health Secretary Eric Friedlander said 39 residents and 20 employees tested positive over the weekend at Nazareth Home Clifton in Louisville, sending 37 residents to hospitals because there was not enough healthy staff to care for them. The state is providing staff support while the employees recover.
"We're going to see this probably again in Kentucky and we will have plans in place and we will respond aggressively," Friedlander said.
Health Commissioner Steven Stack said the evacuation was the state's largest to date, taking four hours and involving six local hospitals.
The 101-bed facility had requested facility-wide testing after several residents began to show symptoms of covid-19 last week, and had previously reported only one resident with the virus, Bailey Loosemore reports for the Louisville Courier-Journal.
The state is working to test every resident and staff person at these facilities, an effort that Stack said will take several months. Friedlander said the state has done at least 11,000 tests in facilities, with a few thousand more scheduled in the next few days.
Since Friday, a total of 54 residents and 27 employees tested positive, raising those numbers to 1,170 and 547, respectively. He said there had been three new deaths "going back," for a total of 215 resident deaths, plus two staff deaths from the virus. Click here for the daily update.
So far, at least 193,576 tests have been done in Kentucky. The governor's daily news release said the testing rate in the past week was 138 per 100,000 residents, well above the recommended rate of 100 per 100,000. Click here for information on how to register for testing at more than 70 locations throughout the state.
Beshear once again implored Kentuckians to get tested, noting that the numbers at the free drive-thru sites sponsored by Kroger were disappointing, especially in Bowling Green, where only 206 signed up to be tested Tuesday, 84 on Wednesday, 39 on Thursday and 22 on Friday. The capacity at each site is typically 400 per day.
"We have a major outbreak in Warren County that our testing can help us identify and control, but you -- you've got to go in and you've got to get tested," Beshear said.
He also pointed out that the Kroger site in Henderson, near an area with many cases, had tested only 24 people Tuesday, with only 21 signed up for tomorrow and seven on Thursday.
"Folks, this is real. It is in this part of the state. We need you to take advantage of this. This is about protecting your community," he said.
In another worrisome moment, Stack showed a video of a Lexington bar/restaurant crowded with people and warned that the virus is easily spread in large gatherings, especially where people are talking loudly.
"The evidence is absolutely overwhelmingly clear that a small number of large events or a small number of a lot of people getting together with one or two infected folks spreads this thing like wildfire," he said. He later added, "I don't know what it will take for us to learn that this is not a game, that this is serious."
Beshear added that the bar was not ensuring a safe environment and said, "I wouldn't go there, and I won't go there, and you shouldn't either, because if we are not going to enforce social distancing in places, they are not safe."
Stack also talked about the importance of wearing masks to decrease the spread of the virus, though they can be a nuisance.
“This infection has taken a horrible toll on humanity, and unfortunately it will continue to take a toll until we find a vaccine and a way to prevent this," he said. "Until we find a treatment or we can cure it, we are left with old-school, old-fashioned public-health measures which we know work, but are difficult to implement because they require us to make sacrifices -- sacrifices that protect us and the people we love and care about, but also sacrifices that protect other people who rely on us."
Beshear, as he wrapped up talking about the Sunday protest that ended with him being hung in effigy, said as he redonned his mask, "After everything that has happened this weekend, do we still think it is too much to wear a mask? To protect our fellow human beings? I wear it to protect my family. I think other people should wear it to protect theirs."
In other covid-19 news Tuesday:
- Beshear said Tuesday's deaths include an 85-year-old woman from Adair County, a 63-year-old man from Allen County and a 72-year-old woman from Jefferson County. He encouraged everyone to turn on green lights, as he and his family would at the governor's mansion, saying, "We show compassion there, not anger. We show love there, not hate."
- Beshear said 489 patients are hospitalized with covid-19, including 78 in intensive care. He said at least 3,115 Kentuckians have recovered from the virus. Click here for the daily summary.
- The counties with the highest number of new cases over the last three days were Jefferson, 146; Shelby, 41; Warren, 30; Fayette, 26; Kenton, 10; and Logan, 10.
- In an Appalshop Twitter post Dr. James Brandom Crum, a diagnostic radiologist in Pikeville, warns coal miners with black lung or chronic lung disease about how dangerous covid-19 could be for them, and asks them to self-isolate as much as possible, wear a mask and make sure those around them are doing all they can to protect them, because they could have the virus without symptoms. "Miners, let people help you," he says. "Isolate yourself, let people go to the store for you, so you can stay away from people 'til this thing is better under control."
- Norton Healthcare plans to open a "first of its kind, permanent drive-thru and walk-up facility" in the fall, WDRB reports. Services will include vaccines, covid-19 testing, flu, strep, EKG and minor x-rays.
- The state Department of Public Advocacy, which provides public defenders, is concerned about their health and that of others in the system if courts resume in-person hearings too soon. Some courts plan to do that June 1, DPA says in a news release. It says that was not the intent of a May 15 Supreme Court order saying trial courts could on June 1 “resume hearing civil and criminal matters using available telephonic and video technology to conduct all proceedings remotely." Public defenders often represent multiple defendants in one court session.
- ProPublica "scoured the latest research and talked to seven infectious disease and public health experts" to report on the latest information parents need to know about coronavirus as children return to day cares and camps. Beshear has said small, in-home child cares can open June 8, with some center-based programs and day camps allowed to open on June 15
