Kentucky Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack says coronavirus cases are escalating while hospitalization levels are not increasing at the same rate. During Tuesday’s capitol briefing, Stack said that’s partly because more young people are testing positive, but not requiring hospital care.
In addition to preventing the spread of COVID-19, Stack noted masks may have another benefit. “If you’re around someone with a big viral load spreading lots of virus in the air, you breathe in a big dose, you got a lot more toxin or infection, you could have a much more quick surge in your illness potentially. And you could get worse and have a much worse course. We don’t know that for sure. But, that’s one of the theories people are postulating,” said Stack.
Governor Beshear announced 1054 new coronavirus cases Tuesday and four additional deaths. The governor expressed concern that this could be a third week in a row of record cases.
General Counsel in the Office of the Governor, Amy Cubbage said the state has paid out more than $4 billion in unemployment benefits during the pandemic. Cubbage noted the state must meet federal eligibility guidelines. She said there are a number of reasons why claims are not approved. “If you voluntarily quit your job, you’re not going to qualify for unemployment. If you’re terminated for misconduct, you would not qualify for unemployment. If you didn’t have sufficient wages in the prior 18 months, unfortunately, you will not qualify for unemployment,” explained Cubbage.
Cubbage added there are still some 77,000 unresolved initial claims. She said most are being disputed. Cubbage noted a fear of COVID-19 in the workplace is not enough to qualify, but a doctor’s note can facilitate approval of a claim.?
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