Three more staff members at Western State Hospital have tested positive for COVID-19 and another six Kentuckians with the virus have died.
There were 134 new cases from Wednesday to Thursday across the commonwealth, bringing the overall total to 1,452. Governor Andy Beshear says three additional staff members at Western State tested positive, but the number of infected patients remains at nine.
One more inmate and another staff member have tested positive at the Green River Correctional Complex in Muhlenberg County and the governor says more positive tests are expected.
Officials say volunteer medical students are already in western Kentucky assisting with treatment of patients fighting COVID-19 at River’s Bend nursing home in Lyon County, where there have been fatalities.
The six new deaths mark 79 fatalities since the pandemic began. Two of the deaths mentioned by Governor Beshear Thursday were in Hopkins County and he says both could be at least indirectly traced back to a revival meeting last month in the Dawson Springs area. He is pleading with anyone considering a mass gathering this weekend to do it virtually to avoid spreading the virus.
Chief of Staff La Tasha Buckner announced an executive order signed by Governor Beshear expanding additional workers compensation temporary disability benefits for more essential workers who are forced to quarantine after being exposed to COVID-19.
The unemployment call center is getting about seven times the number of calls on an average day than it did before this crisis and Deputy Education Cabinet Secretary Josh Benton says all recipients of unemployment benefits in Kentucky should soon be receiving an additional $600 per week payment through the federal stimulus package.
Asked about several medical providers having to use furloughs and other measures to save money during this crisis, the governor says he looking at different options to assist including “bridge loans.”
Tennessee has risen to 4,634 cases and there have been 94 fatalities. Montgomery County has 79 confirmed cases, Robertson County is at 70 and Stewart County has picked up another case and is at three.