all rights. Ah, good afternoon. Um, today I'm joined by Lexington Mayor Linda Gordon, Harrison County County Judge Executive Alex Barnett, mayor of Cynthy. Anna James Smith, a secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Service's Eric Freelander, our commissioner of public health. Dr Stevens Steck. Dr Mark Neumann, the executive vice president for health affairs at UK, and Dr Crystal Miller, who is the director of the Wed Co. District health Department that serves bourbon. Harrison Nicholas on Scott Counties. Yesterday evening, we confirmed Kentucky's first confirmed case of the Corona virus. At this time, we can confirm that that individual lives in Harrison County and is currently in isolation and receiving treatment at U. K's Chandler Hospital in Lexington. Huh? This person was first treated at Harrison Memorial Hospital, and while the patient has been in serious condition, we have the good news that they are improving. At this point, we expect more cases of the Corona virus to be confirmed in Kentucky, and we believe likely we will have additional cases in Harrison County. Because of that, people either in Harrison County or across Kentucky should not panic, but instead should be prepared and because of that we're gonna make a series of recommendations on social distancing in Harrison County. These are a significant and important step, but they are steps that are preventative and can help this community. And if we have to recommend it in other communities to stop the spread of the virus, Um, we, um, are advised that the superintendent of Harrison County public schools will close the school system for at least a portion of a week, if not a full week on, and we would recommend at this point that he do. So, um, we're recommending that nursing homes in Harrison County closed to visitors for the upcoming week. We would advise that public gatherings be delayed, but with all of that, we're not advising the closing of any business. What we are suggesting is engaging in social distancing, trying to stay about six feet apart and then practicing good hygiene, practicing really, really good hygiene, washing your hands, washing them well, washing them a whole lot more than you might have a month ago on making sure that if you are sick anywhere in Kentucky, but especially in Harrison County, do not go to work. Despite this first case, and despite expecting more cases, the threat to Kentucky and is still low. But to be prepared yesterday, I declared a state of emergency to ensure we have all the tools that we need at our disposal. Our emergency operations center is still at level for today. That is the lowest level, and that is the level that we were at yesterday. Additionally, Dr Stack has activated the department operation centers at all the local health departments. We have announced our Corona virus hotline for anyone concerned, Um, that number is 1 807 to 2 57 to 5. Additionally, we are loosened, loosening restrictions such as prior authorization on anything Corona virus related in Medicaid to make sure that we can provide the type of service is that we need. I have assured both the judge here from Harrison County and our mayor that we will provide them with every single resource that they need and that we will be working directly together. In fact, I've now had numerous conversations with the judge over the last 12 hours or so alone. Additionally, we're working inside a state government to set an example by ensuring that we have sufficient paid sick leave for anyone that might show symptoms of this virus to be able to be away from work, but to be paid and and maybe telecommuting for up to 14 days. That's even for employees that may have just started and therefore not a crude, that amount of sick leave. We've got to make sure that we're doing this right inside of state government. Additionally, the CDC has put out some new guidance on, and that is that they're recommending anyone over 60 or people who have heart, lung or kidney disease to avoid public gatherings as much as possible. That is significant guidance, and it's important that we pass that along. So this is new news today about expecting more cases. It's some significant recommendations on social distancing at in Harrison County, but now is not the time to panic. We're prepared for this, and as they talk about it, Harrison County is prepared for this. We are going to get through this, and we're gonna get through it together, and what we have to make sure is just because we engage in social distancing, and in the county we do not lose our compassion were still helping each other. We're still checking on each other. This is something that we absolutely will get through on Dhe when Kentucky and Zehr faced with something like this, we always come together and we show what makes us so special. I'm now going to inter introduce Ah, Commissioner and Dr Steven Stack, who heads public health here in Kentucky. Thank you, Governor of a share and thank you for your leadership and support is we work through this current situation. I'd also like to thank many of our partners, so I can't thank them all by name. I'd like to think Dr Crystal Miller from Wed Co. Who directs the local health department, Dr Craig Hum Ball from Lexington, who directs his local health department, and the many other leaders and clinicians who are involved in treating this patient and any patients we may encounter in the future. I want to emphasize what the governor has said. It's absolutely essential. People remain calm. We're going to get through this. We've gotten through things just like this, and even worse in the past. We're gonna get through this, and we'll all be OK when we get to the other end of this. It is important, though, and I want to urge for people to be informed and for people to take active steps. We'll do the very best we can to get information out to everybody and try to give you the best and most reliable guidance we are able. But we need people to make an active effort to go find that information and make use of it. So we have our website up here on the screen, so it's K y Cove in 19 dot k y dot gov. So spelled out K y c o v i d 19 dot k y dot gov. If you could please go there on a regular basis, you'll find both. Local resource is specific to the state of Kentucky and also links to the CDC. Guidance at the top will update as frequently as we are able. Information relevant specifically to the Commonwealth of Kentucky You will see up here is that during this press conference is being updated were beneath there. There will be specific guidance for resonance of Harrison County and other additional guidance very unique to the communities who may be affected by the condition if you are responsible for populations of people that maybe schools, businesses, healthcare facilities, public gatherings, I would ask that you please go to that website, identify the community closest to the description that you are responsible for, read the information and begin planning. Things like Tele work and virtual classrooms and virtual work are very, very important. And as the governor has said, it's very important that employers B is absolutely supportive as possible for an employee who maybe it's sick to allow them to stay home, to stay away from spreading infection to others and, if possible, to work at a distance so they continue to be productive. If they are able, we will get through this. I think everyone for their leadership. And I think the governor for his support. Thank you. Next we're gonna hear from Harrison County Judge Executive Alex Barnett. First off want to thank the governor for his leadership? Uh, they're hairs from County wants to be first and a lot of things, But in the Corona virus, we didn't want to pay. But unfortunately, that's what happened. And we've been preparing for over a month working with Dr Miller at our local health department working to be prepared in case Corona virus did come to Harrison County and foresee it. Has we have a team meeting this morning? I got everybody up on early on Saturday morning in Harrison County. All of our leaders came together and talked about what we're gonna do to tackle this head on. And that's our plan. We're working, uh, working everywhere, too. Thio. Do everything we need to do to minimize the impact that just gonna have on Harrison County. I once again want to thank the governor and all the people from the state that have reached out to us and offered help. And, uh, I want to encourage everyone in here some candy and and all across the state not to panic where, as everyone says, we are going to get through this. Uh, we've got one case right now. We're expecting more. We're working closely with our hospital to test people in Harrison County, and we are gonna be all right, and I wanna thank everyone there. Next. We have the mayor of Cynthy, Anna James Smith, right. Thank you very much, Governor. For Ah, your extension of the resource is that we need in Cynthiana we already have. The best resource is that we need. And that's our people A cz. We had our team meeting this morning on I looked around the room everyone in that room where was professional and we weren't motivated by fear. But we were motivated by fax on because we have the right people in place. And because we work so well together in Harrison County, not just on the leadership level, but the people was Well, we come together when there is a crisis, a CZ We've seen time and time again, and we will come together for this is well, so do not be afraid. My fellow Cynthia and Harrison County citizens. We will get through this together, and we will be better for it. Thank you, Governor. Thank you. Next we have Dr Crystal Miller, who is the director of Wed Co. Which serves Harrison County. Let me tell you, this underscores the importance of our local health departments and the amazing people who work there. And Dr Miller is one of the best. Thank you. Thank you, everyone, as the first local health official to experience this on and we are expecting more cases. We got the call yesterday about 4 30 Confirming our first case in Harrison County. We have been working around the clock to provide education, get our community partners around the table to discuss next steps to reiterate everything that's been said here as the public health official for Harrison County and preparing for another case there. Potentially, I urge you to be flexible and everything that you do. Be creative. If your employees are sick, please be flexible with them. It's a time for us to thio enhance social distancing. We worked this morning with the community partners and the Hospital CEO. She look turns, and I worked out a plan for, um, her emergency room to receive patients who are experiencing symptoms. So if you are in Harrison County and you experience symptoms, we urge you to go to the emergency room and thought they will follow protocol from there as the public health official again still protected practice protective hygiene, proper washing of hands if you can't use hand, uh, use hand sanitizer if you can't use water. If you're sick, please stay home. And then if you cough and sneeze because this is a respiratory disease, please. Um, cough into your elbow. Um, and we will share any information that comes out through here. Some county on our Facebook page Wed Co District Health department. So please, like that page. We're keeping information flowing from there in addition to these extra websites. Thank you. Next we have Lexington Mayor Linda Gordon. Thank you so much, Governor Bashir. I greatly appreciate your leadership and your proactive position on all of this for Kentucky. Ah, just a couple of things in Lexington. I have declared a state of emergency. This will enable us to access any resource is that we might need. And, um, we have been working for quite some time with our stakeholders in Fayette County and we have a network already in place of these stakeholders who are sharing information daily on our Lexington K y dot gov website. We have on our home page the word cove, it 19 so that our residents can click on there and we have linked to many, many Aditi's, such as the CDC, the Health Department, All of those are transportation, our universities so that citizens can get the most updated information. We are ready and prepared in Fayette County for this, and we'll do whatever we need to do to be supportive of those around us. And as we move through this, thank you very much. And next we have Dr Mark Newman, who's the executive vice president for health affairs at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Thank you, Governor. I just want to say that it's been phenomenal teamwork on an ongoing basis as we look at, you know how we have responded and how we have prepared. So I think we're ready. UK health care is ready and has the resources to take care of many of the sickest of these patients and where our hospital is designed with substantial isolation capabilities, so that we can do this in a very safe way for both our patients and our people. So people don't have to worry about coming to UK health care or worry about infection. And again, we want to protect our other patients as well as these patients coming in with the Corona virus. And we also wanna be sure that we take care of our own, our own employees and our own health care givers. As we go forward, I think the last thing I want to say is that as we look forward, we want to be a resource. But the majority of these patients are going to be treated in their local hospitals and in their communities and in some at home. And I think that's a key component for people not to panic. As we're saying, to be able to go through that northern normal progression on that, we're going to come through this in good shape. Thank you. So I hope with the people of Kentucky, See here today is preparation, cooperation and coordination. And it's been less than 24 hours since we had our first positive test and we already have Local and state leaders are local health department, our state Department of Health, working seamlessly and absolutely committed to doing whatever it takes to help our people to get through this. And we will. Long as everybody stays calm, remains compassionate and engages in good hygiene, we're gonna be okay even though we're gonna have to take steps as we move forward, just to make sure that we protect our people always have to put it in context while we expect more confirmed cases of this Corona virus. We have about 19,000 confirmed cases of the flu here in Kentucky, and we have had 66 deaths, including four pediatric deaths, four kids. So in addition to everything that you need to do to protect yourself from this new virus, get your flu shot and make sure that you treat the flu as serious as well. Finally, I want to thank the media who has helped us get the word out. I appreciate how you have focused on the hygiene portion of it. We need you to continue to do that. This is one of those times where our mission, I believe, isn't just toe to report the news. It's to help people out there through the dissemination of information. And given that the threat is still low, what I ask of our media is just to be thoughtful and intentional about how you report. Sometimes people will only read one line of a tweet or one tweet itself and not get the rest of the context, and fear can cause, um, thanks to happen that we should all want to avoid and fear on Dwight spread fear could be much more negative than anything we see coming out of of this virus. So we just ask all of us. Let's make sure we're responsible and and how we're communicating eso with that. We take any questions yesterday gave the number. This new number is is what we should be using. It is up running, you know, we're moving fast. And so all the steps that we take, we may have to go back and fix a few things as we go. But we're moving really fast, but we need to so that a new number again is 1 800 7 to 2, 57 to 5. And do you have any more information available on problem right now? The information we confirmed is all we can confirm and and we intend on providing more. We just got to give those epidemiologists we talked about yesterday enough time thio to do their work to make sure that any facts that were able to put out there we can put out in in in context to you and that we have reliable information, let me ask Dr Stack to step up and provide the information that we can again, we will be providing updates. It's likely that we will provide another update tomorrow. Our goal again, as we believe that if we're here every day talking to the public about what we're seeing, then hopefully we keep everybody calm but prepared. Doctor stat. Thank you. So those questions about when someone became sick and when they sought care. Those are all very important. They're the very questions that are epidemiology team are looking into. I want offer to that question into everybody who's listening, a couple of thoughtful responses about how we're gonna handle that. First and foremost, our commitment is for any patient who's sick, that they're going to get the treatment they need and that we're gonna help them get well. And so we have privacy considerations for the individual patient in their families. So you will find that I am going to tell you over the course of our response to this situation, that there are some answers that I will not provide you out of respect for the patient's privacy in their family. As we get information that we can publicly share and that helps to inform communities to be responsive and to keep themselves safe, we will share that information. We just found out about this patient last night. The epidemiology team is hard at work, contacting and identifying anyone who might have come in contact with the individual. And so when we can share that information in a way that is useful to the public, we commit to to share it at one other thing I'd like to ask your help with. If you are sick, please call your healthcare provider. Try to use the telephone first. If you have virtual access to care, telemedicine and things like that, please, to that social distancing means social distancing, trying to minimize congregation of people. If you are just concerned, please call the 800 number the governor has told you or reach out to your clinician by phone. Don't seek medical care if you would not otherwise have simply because there's Corona virus. If you feel you need medical care, though, of course, please seek that. But as far as reassurance, please use the other avenues available for reassurance that don't require congesting hospitals and doctor offices and congregating people that may not be beneficial. Great. One last piece of news is we're working today. Thio, activate and we talked about it yesterday to activate the price gouging statute and that would apply toe all the equipment related to prevention or that's otherwise necessary. You know why we expect more cases? We're still working through all that in the short time frame, but it's it's our belief, based on the information that we have now that we will see some more cases. And we want to make sure that that the public is is ready for that. That knows that it is expected that sees how prepared the county in the city and the local health department are that we reassure those in Harrison County and elsewhere because I believe we're also gonna have, um, positive cases elsewhere. It's It's where we think this is going that the state is providing every single resource that will update at four o'clock today. It was 10 as of the end of yesterday, with one positive, um, nine negative. We believe it will be at least 14 by the end of the day, but we want that number to be accurate. How you want to use the telephone for you? Is that like so if somebody feels like they're sick, they should call someone rather than you show. Right. So I'm gonna be thank you for the question will be very clear about this. If you feel you have an emergency, seek emergency care. But if you have a fever or a cough and you otherwise feel fine and you would normally take Tylenol and stay home and rest, please take Tylenol, stay home and rest, and then seek guidance by telephone or other means. In a situation like this, people's fear the unknown often outstrips what fear is really justified. So if you would not normally seek medical care or not normally, go to an emergency department or a doctor's office, continue to behave is normal. But if you feel you have an emergency, by all means seek medical care is you feel you need thio. They've been working ever since yesterday evening, and they continue to work. It is you can imagine any of us in the community interact with a lot of people on a regular basis, so they try their very best to build out that web of contacts so we can advise everybody who needs to be advised, doctor saying How is the state doing with test kids, so I wish I had. I don't have an accurate number to tell you. The moment I can tell you this. The state of Kentucky has all the test kits that needs to test everyone. We need to test it this time. And the CDC has made additional resource is available, so we have the ability to order additional test kits. And additionally, commercial labs have already announced availability of the test. So we hope that very soon people will be able to seek routine medical care and get a test from their doctor, nurse or other clinician just like they would for the flu or other important test. Uh, toe add on what we what we talked about yesterday or the day before. As the commercial labs private insurance are are able to do testing, the number of actual test will skyrocket. And that doesn't mean that the number of people that unnecessarily even even show symptoms has has has increased. And to add on to what Dr Stack is saying, you sit in a room full of people this time of year. Ah, 1/4 and we're gonna be coughing from time to time. Just cause you're coughing doesn't mean you ought to be worried about this Corona virus again. We have one confirmed case in Kentucky. While we believe we'll have more 19,000 cases of the flu puts it into context, we're gonna be prepared. We want we want to be. I mean, we are. We're we want to be responsive, and we will be responsible. But what we don't want to do is build fear. Yeah, starting. If you if if you've gotten your flu shot for this year, thank you so much. Everybody needs to get the flu shot unless there is some medical reason that they cannot. But with the flu being that much deadlier right now than the Corona virus in Kentucky, just in numbers of cases and the fact that we have had deaths, we can't talk about something related to public health without talking about the flu and getting that flu shot in the school closure. You talk more about when that decision was made on. And is this a preventative measure or did this individual I'm gonna contact with schools students? I want to let the superintendent when when that's announced, I believe it is being announced. Respond to those issues. I would say that it is a preventative measure at this point. Tom, let me let me answer this one. Not come Here's accounting. There's a lot of speculation about where this person worked and that speculation is creating there. Any reason, Lord no. Our hope is to release additional details in the coming days. The concern is that the epidemiologists, that air tracing contacts would not have the time necessary to reach out and to reach those folks and gain both fax and perspective about it. We intend to be very transparent, but we need to follow the same process that's been used so many times before. I understand people are scared. I d'oh um and I want them Thio feel confident in the local response and in the state response we will get through this even though we will see other cases we will get through this will do is we take care of each other and we'll do it because we're gonna put every single resource that's necessary. I talked to the judge on my cellphone more in a couple times since yesterday evening and actually ducked out of ah, big event to make sure that we talked at that moment. The people of Harrison County ought to know their governor and their state government are right there with him. We're not going anywhere. We have a case. Plans have closed down the middle. So right now we don't see, um, any any need there. Now we are making sure that in state government that we're adjusting our sick leave policy to ensure that people who are sick can stay home on the same thing. I'm recommending to businesses that were actually leading here in Kentucky. That person who's worked a week hasn't accrued sick time in state government. We want to make sure that they are able Thio to stay home. We'll respond appropriately when necessary. But I can tell you I'm gonna be here working every day to make sure we're doing the people's business on. But we're responding. When things like this happen, need additional state resource is are they hers? At the moment, um, we're working very closely in hand with our local officials. I will tell you that they have their resource is marshaled and ready on. The people of Harrison County are in very good hands and the people of Cynthy Anna are in very good hands, but we have a shared them that whether it's any testing, it's gonna go to the front of the line. It's any extra testing kits, they're gonna have him. Whatever Harrison County needs right now, we're gonna provide it on, and I will do whatever is necessary to make sure not just that. We're responding appropriately, but the but the people, um understand and feel that we're right there with him. We can't confirm where they are, but we get different test kits from different places again. We we do anticipate additional cases in Harrison County, but we also anticipate additional cases elsewhere. I mean, any area where we have a dense population, Kentucky by the by the time we're fully through with this and we will, we'll get to the other side. We should anticipate that we'll have those cases. What is the time frame when someone has been tested? How long does it take to get there? Well, we are very thankful that the state lab is up and running with the ability to turn this around. The CDC was taking about 24 hours, depending on when we receive it, it is now down to 12 here in the state, and we're gonna make sure that that we're prioritizing and getting those tested. Now for folks that a test has been taken from, they should already be in isolation. Andare goal is to make sure that that self isolation or other isolation that we're doing in ways that are both humane to the individual but ultimately protect the public as well. You tell us anything else about this wave released everything we can at this time, Um, in terms of where we are in the process and also in terms of HIPPA, which which has some real limits on people's health information and what you can release for me. Of those people who are out wearing masks in public, I understand that the mass really does not thank you for asking that that's really important. Wearing a mask just in general, walking around like you see on videos and social media is not recommended. That's not proven to be helpful. The best thing you can do are the steps we've been telling you repeatedly, which are, if you're sick, stay away from other people, wash your hands with soap and water. Use hand sanitizer when necessary. Stay home from work or school if you're ill and cough into your sleeve or a tissue, not your hands. Reason we say those things is because in state about six feet away, if you can, from folks who appear to be visibly sick because a lot of these air droplet spread. So if you cough and you have some saliva, that's how most of these things air spread. So we would really recommend and actually ask that people not aggregate those mass that they not take them to themselves so that they're not available for people who need them in medical settings and others who really do need them. So wearing a mask, just walking around in the general public is not recommended for the sea by the CDC and has not felt to be protective. All right, we anticipate have the results. We believe that we will have updates tomorrow and they will likely be included in this, and we anticipate that will likely be doing updates just about every day. I think that's the best way for for the public to know that we're on top of this on the way that people can can if they want to see the information directly for themselves. We here at the Capitol I know in Harrison County and Cynthia and all across Kentucky are all hands on deck. We are again going to get through this together, and we will be okay. We will take care of each other, and we're gonna use every state and local resource it takes to do that. Thank you all very much.