Forty more cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in a four-county region in Northern Kentucky from Friday to Sunday.
The total number of confirmed cases now stands at 410.
Kenton County has had 207 confirmed cases, while there have been 110 in Boone County, 77 in Campbell County, and 16 in Grant County.
Twenty-eight people have died in the region.
Governor Andy Beshear on Sunday, during his daily media and public briefing, said that some health care operations can reopen on Monday. Those include non-urgent/emergent health care services, diagnostic radiology and lab services, as long as practices are implemented to prevent the spread of the respiratory virus.
Settings that may open include health care clinics and medical offices, physical therapy offices, optometry offices, and dental offices.
“Resuming certain health care services is part of the Governor’s Phase I Reopening Plan. Things may look a little different at your next health visit, so it is important to check with your provider on how you should prepare,” said Dr. Lynne Saddler, Northern Kentucky district director of health.
Practices health care providers must put into place include, but are not limited to:
• Maximize tele-health rather than in-person visits.
• Allow no visitors except for when it is absolutely necessary, such as end of life care and minors.
• Eliminate traditional waiting areas and use alternatives such as a “parking lot lobby.”
• Screen all staff and patients for COVID-19 symptoms upon arrival.
• All health care staff and patients must wear face masks.
Kentucky now has 4.074 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. 208 people have died.
More than 48,000 people have been tested.
“Tomorrow is the first day since this virus hit that instead of adding restrictions, we are reopening some areas,” Governor Beshear said. “We are starting with health care for some very simple reasons. First, people have not been able to go in to some types of visits and important appointments to keep themselves healthy. And people can grow unhealthy or have other issues that are unrelated to COVID-19.
“Second, we need to get our health care industry moving again because as we want to test more people we will need our health care industry to be operating at a greater level to make that happen. And third, in thinking about how to do this gradually in a way that protects people, in a way that we can always take a temperature as we move forward, health care is the place to start.”
-Staff report