Healthcare Providers Will Need To Operate Differently, Governor Says
Coronavirus Update For Thursday, April 23
British military personnel demonstrate how to don personal protective equipment during a NHS training exercise. (Image: DFID, courtesy Wikimedia Commons.)
Robert Moore
Herald Staff
rmoore@harrodsburgherald.com
At Thursday’s briefing, Gov. Andy Beshear laid out the guidelines health care providers will need to follow when they reopen next week. Beshear said provders will need to operate in a different way than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“To do this safely, make sure you are going above and beyond,” the governor said. “This is our proof of concept in the medical community. We have to prove that we can do this the right way.”
On Monday, April 27, health care practitioners can resume non-urgent/emergent health care services, diagnostic radiology and lab services in:
- hospital outpatient setting
- health care clinics and medical offices
- physical therapy settings, chiropractic offices and optometrists
- dental offices (but with enhanced aerosol protections)
The guidelines for resuming some of those services is based on the White House’s Guidelines for Reopening America, Beshear said.
The new guidance does not apply to long-term care settings, prisons, other industries, or other settings for which separate guidance has already or will be provided in the future. On Thursday, Beshear said 44-percent of those who have died have been residents at long term care facilities. It also does not apply to elective surgeries or procedures.
All health care providers, staff, patients and others must wear a surgical/procedural mask while in health care facility. Patients and others must wear either a surgical/procedural mask or cloth mask/face covering in all other health care settings
On Thursday, Gov. Beshear announced 161 new confirmed cases and six new deaths. That raises Kentucky’s total to 3,481 confirmed cases and 191deaths as of April 23, 2020 at 5 p.m.
Across the world, there are 2.7 million confirmed cases—of which 745,045 have recovered—and 190,422 deaths, according to worldometers.com.
In the USA, there have been 879,430 confirmed cases—744,037 of them still active—and 49,769 deaths. In the past day, there were 30,713 new cases and 2,110 new deaths. In the U.S. 85,624 have recovered.
Testing Sites and Eligibility
Gov. Beshear announced that just today, the state ran 6,769 tests. In addition to health care facilities, Kentuckians can be tested free of charge for COVID-19 at Kroger sites in Madisonville, Paducah, Somerset, and Pikeville. To register, visit the Kroger website.
Other testing locations;
Shawnee Park (4501 West Broadway, Louisville, KY 40211) from Monday, April 27, to Friday, May 1, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Hand sanitizer and face mask will be distributed on site
Bluegrass Community and Technical College (500 Newtown Pike, Lexington, KY 40508) from Monday, April 27, to Friday, May 1, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Hand sanitizer and face mask will be distributed on site.
Owensboro Community College (4800 New Hartford Road, Owensboro, KY 42303) from Tuesday, April 28, to Thursday, April 30, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
South Warren High School (8140 Nashville Road, Bowling Green, KY 42101) from Tuesday, April 28, to Thursday, April 30, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Walgreens (2296 Executive Drive, Lexington, KY 40505) will offer testing seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit walgreens.com/coronavirus to register.
