4th coronavirus death in Kentucky, cases surpass 120

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Gov. Andy Beshear urged Kentucky residents to donate to a new fund to assist people suffering financial setbacks from the coronavirus and to report instances when social distancing practices needed to help contain the illness aren’t being followed.

The new statewide outreach campaigns were unveiled Monday as the governor announced a fourth death linked to the virus in Kentucky. The total number of confirmed cases in the Bluegrass State has surpassed 120, Beshear said during his daily briefing.

He also announced that security will be bolstered at Kentucky hospitals, including posting National Guardsmen, in preparation for a potential continued upswing in virus cases.

Beshear urged people to donate to a new fund to help fellow Kentucky residents hit by layoffs and other financial setbacks caused by the virus as some businesses close and others scale back.

“We know realistically we will not be able to provide for every Kentuckian that has lost, but we can make a difference in people’s lives,” the governor said.

Donations to the new Team Kentucky Fund will be tax deductible, he said.

The fund will be overseen by the state Public Protection Cabinet, allowing officials to “trace every dollar that goes in and comes out,” Beshear said.

He also announced a hotline for people to report instances when social distancing practices aren’t being followed. The hotline — 1-833-597-2337 — will be staffed by state Labor Cabinet employees, he said. It will be open from morning to late evening but messages can be left after those hours.

“This is an opportunity to make sure that we know what you know,” the governor said.

Meanwhile, more law enforcement will be posted at the state’s hospitals in preparation for a potential upswing in virus cases, Beshear said. Some guardsmen will soon be posted, he said.

“I just want to make sure that if we see that scenario where our hospitals and our medical centers have a surge, that we can take care of everyone in the most orderly fashion,” he said. “And everybody knows that while they’re there, they are safe.”

Beshear also said state officials are considering releasing some felons close to the end of their sentences as a way to keep prison populations safer from the virus.

The announcements came as Beshear mourned the state’s latest coronavirus-related death — an 82-year-old woman who had underlying health conditions.

“We are thinking about her and her family,” Beshear said.

In Louisville, a judge ordered a man diagnosed with coronavirus into self-isolation after he went shopping Saturday.

The man, identified by the initials W.N. in the order, had refused to comply with requests that he isolate himself, the order said. The man was ordered to remain self-isolated for 14 days to protect the public health, the judge said.

Earlier this month, another Kentucky man who resisted going into self-quarantine was forced to isolate himself at his Nelson County home.

The state’s total coronavirus cases have surpassed 120, and the latest cases are from “all over the state,” Beshear said.

For most people, the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover from the new virus.

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Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak.