Governor Beshear says part of the state’s success so far in flattening the curve when it comes to the number of coronavirus cases is found in hospital care.
Beshear said there are 305 people hospitalized with 137 in the ICU. The governor noted caregivers have, quote, “really beaten the model on how many days somebody was going to be hospitalized with the disease.” “That has gone a long way in helping our healthcare capacity. It’s not just flattening the curse, which we have, and they would tell you that we have. Everything that they and their doctors and everybody else are doing and all of you that have gotten this virus that have been able to ride it out at home,” Beshear explained.
The governor last night reported 177 new cases and eleven deaths.
During his nightly briefing the amount of personal protective equipment on hand to attend to coronavirus patients was detailed. That included more than four million gloves, 355,000 surgical masks, and 37,000 gowns. Beshear said that’s not enough over the long haul. State Public Health Commissioner Steven Stack said the federal government requirements for PPE are stringent. “The level of detail required is really unusual though for the coronavirus response. Because the entire nation needs these resources, the federal government is requiring that we report every day on a single facility’s specific level. All the inventory they have on hand,” said Stack.
On the issue of the public school calendar and whether Kentucky students will go back to class in May, Beshear said he plans to get together with state education leaders next week to discuss that. But, he again said students and parents should be prepared to not return to the classroom this spring.?
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