Nearly all of Kentucky’s 120 counties are now in the red zone and our state’s senior population continues to be hit hard by the Coronavirus. “We have seen a dramatic increase,” said Cabinet for Health and Family Services Secretary Eric Friedlander. On Monday he announced that the number of long-term care facilities affected by COVID-19 has more than doubled since October and says more has to be done to protect vulnerable seniors. “So we’re going to tighten up what we’re asking folks to do in terms of communal dining, communal activities, group activities and off-site travel.”
Secretary Friedlander said those who live in long-term care are discouraged from leaving for any outings and that includes Thanksgiving with family. “We are going to severely limit holiday visitation. If somebody leaves the facility and comes back in we’re going to ask them to quarantine.”
While the guidelines are stricter, the state is sending help. Units from the Kentucky National Guard Strike Team will begin supporting nursing homes and senior living centers with non-clinical needs. A total of ten teams will be deployed over the next week.