Lexington has banned swimming at public pools for this summer. Mayor Linda Gorton announced Thursday the city’s public pools will not open due to concerns related to coronavirus.
About the same time Thursday, State Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack was saying pools statewide would definitely not be opening in May or June. “Not just because of the pool water itself. There’s just almost no way you can put together a whole bunch of kids and people at a public pool and not have folks socializing and violating the social distancing rules of greater than six feet. It’s just no pragmatically possible,” said Stack.
And Governor Beshear said the same rule applies to apartment pools.
In Lexington, city officials announced the re-opening of Raven Run and McConnell Springs under new guidelines and hours. The two natural areas will be open May fourth and fifth to only first responders, healthcare workers and their immediate families and those 60 and over and their immediate families. Attendance will be split for these groups on a rotating basis over the two days.
Beginning May sixth, McConnell Springs and Raven run will be open to the public but with required registration and limitations on hike time and number of vehicles.
Governor Beshear continues to get questions about the filing and receiving of unemployment benefits during this period of COVID-19. During the briefing, Education and Workforce Development Cabinet Deputy Secretary Josh Benton said about 28,000 claims are still under review. Benton said the backlog of claims IS being worked on every day. “Most of them revolve around an employer protest or if it was marked, their claim was marked as a quit or a discharge for the reason that they lost their employment,” explained Benton.
Benton noted there are plans to offer flexibility when it comes to those with day care and health issues. Kentucky day cares are not among those businesses re-opening in May. Governor Beshear reiterated the challenges in developing a strategy for restaurants to reopen. He said public libraries would be among those considered in a government facility plan still under development. The governor announced 174 new cases and five new deaths.?
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