By Lee Bratcher/OC Monitor
HARTFORD, Ky. — Ohio County Judge-Executive David Johnston returned for his first COVID-19 update of the week this morning and outlined the reopening of businesses and services closed due to the virus.
Ohio County was notified it had seven new cases of COVID-19 by the Green River District Health Department. Johnston pointed out the county also had four patients to recover from the disease. Ohio County as 47 active cases of COVID-19 with 27 patients having recovered.
Johnston said the state was plateauing in COVID -19 cases and expected to see a downturn in new cases. The downturn of new cases has the state and Johnston looking into slowly beginning to reopen businesses and other areas closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Beginning next Monday, May 11, manufacturing, construction, vehicle dealerships, office-based businesses and pet care, boarding and grooming businesses will reopen. A week later on May 20, retail businesses and houses of worship will be able to reopen and on May 25, barbers, salons and similar businesses will be reopened. Also on May 25, social gatherings limited to 10 people will be allowed.
All will have to follow specific guidelines set forth by the state. Johnston mentioned churches would be limited to 25 percent capacity and no singing would be allowed. Singing can spread the virus like a cough would.
“We’re well on our way now, I think,” Johnston said. “But please, any of you that’s opening, do social distancing and read up on the guidelines.”
The Ohio County Courthouse and Ohio County Community Center will open May 26. According to Johnston, the courthouse and community center could have been opened May 18, but “we decided to wait another week to get our measures in place to help social distance, such as shields on people’s desk and spacings to keep people six feet apart.”
Both the courthouse and community center will have checkpoints at the entrances to help make sure safe practices are being followed.
When it comes to restaurants, the future is still uncertain. Johnston was on a conference call yesterday with the state and a timeline for opening sit down restaurants was not available. One thing is certain, sit down restaurants will not be opened by May 25. There was also no date for opening overnight campgrounds.
Johnston touched upon the issue of the many confirmed COVID-19 cases at Perdue Farms. The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Human Services last reported there were 154 cases at the plant. Not all of those who tested positive reside in Ohio County.
“I’m totally convinced that Perdue is doing everything they can to prevent the spread of this virus and actually has for a long time,” Johnston said. “As a matter of fact, they’re paying for testing for a lot of their employees and they’re running at a fraction of their processing capacity so they can do all their social distancing and doing all the practices they need to do to stay safe.”
Brenda Renfrow, Director of Ohio County Senior Services, spoke about what senior services has done during the COVID-19 pandemic. Renfrow described the Ohio County Senior Center as “really, really hectic.”
For the month of April, the Senior Services delivered 3,895 meals to people in Ohio County. Meals are being delivered to “all points” of the county. In addition to meals, Senior Services have delivered toilet paper, disinfectant, food from the Ohio County Food Pantry, donations from caregivers and other items. Senior Services also takes seniors to the grocery or to see the doctor, though there haven’t been many of those trips.
Renfrow said Senior Services had emergency meals for anyone 60 years or older who needed them.
Jody Flener, Ohio County Tourism Director, spoke about what tourism means and how it helps the county. Tourism helps provide economic impact to Ohio County. As people come into the county for concerts, events and attractions, those people also will spend money on food, lodging, gas and retail.
The shutdown due to COVID-19 has severely hurt the tourism business, but Flener is optimistic.
“There is a light at the end of the tunnel,” Flener said. “Things will be opening, like (Johnston) said. When these stores and things open, people will be coming back.”
Johnston ended his update by encouraging people in Ohio County to continue to stay home as much as possible and when in public to wear a cloth mask covering the face.
“I do believe conditions are improving and I believe in a few weeks we’ll see somewhat of normalcy or get back to the new normal,” Johnston said. “Ohio County, we will get through this together.”
To view Johnston’s May 5, 202, COVID-19 update, click here.