it's five o'clock or just a little after the time that we get together every single day and we start the same way by knowing that we will get through this and we will get through this together. Once you say it with me like we do every day, we will get through this. We will get through this together one last time. We will get through this. We will get through this together and we will get through this because we're going to do what it takes to defeat this Corona virus. We know that this is the challenge of our times. This is our generation's challenge that we have to rise to meet that we all have to do our part, that we all have to prove that we all have to do our part, that we all have to prove that we are patriotic Americans and that we do our duty as Kentucky INS that we know that every single one of us not only has that duty, but that our choices have consequences and that every single one of us matters in the way that we address this virus. And the way we address it is following the 10 steps that we talk about every day to make sure that we do what it takes to defeat the Corona virus. Number one. Stay healthy at home. Only. Leave your house if you're going to work. If you're getting essential items or if you're getting exercise. And that exercise can only be you and your family unit, that is absolutely critical. That is the most important rule in making sure we defeat the Corona virus number to avoid crowds and gatherings. And that's of any size. There aren't ways to get exceptions around this. It's not, um, if you're outside exercising, the 10 people get together six feet apart. That is not okay. We can't be doing that. We got other people that we stay six feet apart. We don't use the six feet rule in a way to try to get together, um, and ultimately spread this virus Number three that we practice social distancing, and that is when we see someone, we make sure that we could say a quick hello from six feet apart, but we don't let that be our excuse in in the grocery store or someone somewhere else to try to engage in in the socializing that we all really want to. We've just got to make sure they were doing everything in these key critical weeks to defeat the virus. Number four. Knowing when to seek care As we have surgeon cases and we do today, we have got to make sure that we make the right decisions, each of us personally to make sure that we don't overburden our health care system. So there, enough hospital beds. Enough. I see youse enough ventilators for everybody who needs one when they need them. And that means if you are healthy but nervous, call the Corona Virus hotline. Don't call your your health care provider. Don't go to a health care facility Second, if you are sick but would have not otherwise sought care used. Tell health. Make sure you are speaking to your primary care provider. But now there's no excuse not to use telehealth just about everything that you could be suffering from that that otherwise you wouldn't have gotten care for. And most normal things that you're going through. You want to be able to do through telehealth over the phone with your physician that make sure that you don't take up that bed that someone with the Corona virus might need and that you don't expose yourself in a place where we're sending people that have the Corona virus. The number three. If you are truly sick and you need help or if you were injured, make sure you get that help number five k walk over 19 dot k y dot gov again, that is the central place for accurate information in Kentucky on the Corona virus. Every day, wild rumors air out there. Go to the Web page that tells you what's real and if it's not on there. Andi, you haven't heard it for May. Then this is the source. You can dispel those rumors. Number six. Wash your hands, Disinfect servant surfaces. Remember, if you can't get disinfectant, he's the 1 100 Bleach. If you can't find hand sanitizer, soap and water is better. 20 seconds. Do it Well, do it right every time. Do it multiple times a day. Uh, number seven. Apply for benefits and let me say we're doing this well as a state, I want you to apply for those benefits on Know that it's been frustrating, but as you heard yesterday, we got 40,000. Yes, is out there and we're working to continue to get them out there. If you look at a map right now off where people are qualifying for benefits right now you'll see is compared to other states. We are getting these through faster, though, if you're if you're newly unemployed, I know that that doesn't help your anxiety, or it's hard to have patients knowing we might be doing it faster than other states. But we're not doing it fast enough for you. I get that we will work to improve it each and every day. Applying for benefits also includes Medicaid. Make sure you're on it. We went everybody on some form of coverage. Prioritize your mental health as we're going to talk today. We're gonna be engaging in all of these orders and all this social distancing in the very least through the end of this month. So it's the second we could be ready. We're gonna be tough, but we gotta take care of ourself each and every day. And I hope when you do run into people and we're hopefully you're calling people you're using face time you're using Zoom, ask them how they're doing and then ask him if they're taking care of themselves. I know if you're a parent of young kids like me, oftentimes you neglect that. I know that if you're working in a health care job right now and you're on those front lines or your first responder, you're probably neglecting that. Asked people. It's important to them and it's important to us that we care about each other. We show that compassion and that we ask, Do not travel anywhere. We're gonna have a little bit additional today on on our orders, um, on travel. But you shouldn't be traveling anywhere other than work or to get supplies toe, potentially take care of a loved one or pursuant to a court order and finally report non compliance. We always say it's 10 plus one. Fill out your census, you're you're at home, hopefully at home right now. Make sure you do that for us. It will help. The year that comes after this as we rebuild and as we restock, it will help our economy. It's just a few minutes that will help this state, and the last thing I've been asking you all to do that's outside of that is to model the type of behavior that we need to see if we're gonna truly limit our contacts. If we're gonna make sure that social distancing the one tool in fighting this Corona virus that is completely in our control is this effective as it can be? We need you to not only do the right thing each and every time we need you to model that behavior for the world to create the type of social pressure to make sure everybody else says so. Every day we showed the social media that you all are putting out there using the Hashtags team Kentucky together K y, uh, hashtag patriot and healthy at home. And I need you to keep doing this. I need you to keep making sure that those around you see it each and every day we can fill up social media with these positive steps friends or people who follow you or people who follow someone else who reposed what you post any of those see other people truly buying in doing their duty. And you know what? When we do that and when we share it. We feel like a part. We feel like we have more control over the situation that we're all facing, and we feel like we're not only doing our part, but we're encouraging other people to do their duty as well. So let's let's look at a couple, All right. These are some of our hard working healthcare folks. We appreciate each and everything they do. Remember that wall, the cookies or the or the meals that people send Our nice. The number one thing that you can do toe help these heroes is to be healthy at home is to cut your contacts and the number one thing that puts these heroes at risk or when you decide you just can't. You can't help it anymore. You gotta You gotta invite people over or we gotta play. Um uh, sports with folks or or you got to get together in the neighborhood. These folks are counting on us. The level that they are exposed to the Corona virus depends on how well we do being healthy at home. Let's make sure that we show them the same type of commitment from us that they are showing to us. Let's go to the next one. Now this is the city of Independence. Lighten up, Green Thio. Honor those. We've lost the Corona virus. I'll mention it a little bit. We're gonna light up green again tonight. Ring the bells at 10 a.m. Folks, where we are in this Corona virus, we will probably be lighting our houses up green most every night, at least for the foreseeable future. We know that that's how this virus works. We've been ready for it. We've been preparing for it. That comes for the most vulnerable amongst us. And every time you see the greenhouse or city or a university, I hope it reminds you that our actions have consequences. But if we all do our part, we will minimize the number of nights or the number of people that this green represents. Remember, it is the color of compassion. We care about every single person that we have lost. But it's also the color of renewal, knowing that they're going to a better place. This is pretty special. You know, I had to talk the other day about just one specific revival and the damage that just one social gathering could do But I tell you what, virtually every whether it's a house of worship or other group that is out there, virtually every other one, is not only following the guidance, they're out there doing really great things. And this is just one example, and I want to thank them for every dollar they raise for every meal that they deliver for every virtual service that helps us know helps me now that we're on the right path and that what we're facing right now is temporary and it ISS folks. I know there is uncertainty, and I know the hard thing is we can't say exactly when it's gonna be over. But here's the thing. We know that it's temporary. We know it worst. We're looking at a period of months. If we think about that, greatest generation, because we're talking about are calling now. When they were called to change the U. S economy when they were called to support our troops in World War Two or be those troops, they went into it without knowing how long it's going to take or what the outcome will be. We know in this instance that we will get through it we know we will come out the other side, and we know that it is temporary and won't be nearly as long as what that greatest generation had to do. So we should be able to do this. And mostly all we have to do is stay apart from each other. So let's make sure that we are just as committed as the generations that came before us. On that we can rise up knowing that the the time period of our sacrifice is in fact going to be much less so. Let's make sure we can make that sacrifice go to the next. Just ah, another example of how people of Kentucky are coming together to honor those that are on the front lines. We appreciate you so much more than I can put into words. I know that you don't have enough personal protective equipment, and I know you show up every day. Anyways, I know you care for people that are sick. That can get you sick and you show up for work. Anyways, I know you're tired and you're going to see more patients in the coming days. I think that we could we could have ever known for five months ago and you're gonna show up to do it anyways, Thank you so much. We appreciate this everything that all of our students are doing reaching out to their teachers. And we appreciate our teachers are superintendents are school staff doing in T I to keep our kidsminds moving as well as the meals to keep their body healthy. This is just another example about social distancing and how important it is to our seniors how we're missing important moments where we can be in direct contact but also knowing who we're fighting for. So just a quick message directly from our healthcare providers that again they appreciate the meals. They appreciate the thank you's. But the most important thing we can do to protect these folks is to stay home. You have a loved one that is in the healthcare field. Stay home. If a friend who's in the healthcare field stay home, you don't have any of that. You're still protecting people, even if you don't know them that are absolutely critical to to protecting the lives of those that you know and that you love. Okay. Got a number of updates. End or new steps today that we're gonna go through before we hit today's report first. Earlier today, I recommended to our public school superintendents as well as a number of private school jumped on us Well, that we extend the policy of no in person instruction through at least the end of Friday. May 1st, this goes along with what the White House put out extending their guidance through April 30th. We know it's gonna be needed for atleast this period. And what I told them, waas we would touch base two weeks out, or maybe even a week out from this point, to see where we are. A couple of things that we're gonna be looking at is the New York experience. When do they hit their peak? And when do we start seeing a decline? We will also have a lot more data from Kentucky that helps us track where we are and where we're going. This is further sacrifice by our kids and by our educators, but it's absolutely necessary, and I believe because I have encouraged that all of our school districts will extend that nontraditional instruction, making sure that our kids out there have learning activities, uh, and and meal service. And let me just say that, yes, the learning activities can't compare to an in class experience, but even if they can't, it provides a little bit of structure at a time of uncertainty for our kids out there. So thank you for everybody who's doing that second new executive order today that mainly ads on toe others. It expands our travel restriction to wear out of staters traveling into Kentucky that aren't just passing through that Don't just stop at a gas station are now gonna have to quarantine for 14 days wherever they're coming. We have to make sure that we don't have folks that are traveling in staying two days and leaving, because that frustrates everything that we're trying to do right now. Executive Order also allows state, county and city governments toe hire back retirees if needed. We currently we previously did this for first responders. Remember, Corrections on brothers were now expanding it because we could see an entire part of state or city or county government ultimately in self quarantine with this need to make sure that they have critical people in place. Third, starting tomorrow, there will be no overnight stays in our state parks that is not on the campgrounds and not in the lodge is again. This is to make sure that we're all healthy at home. It's making sure that we're not creating opportunities for people to create a crowd, and we're not presenting a haven for those coming from other places to potentially bring their contacts. Listen, if somebody's got a family member from out of state and they want to come and ride it out with their family members, that's fine. But once you get here, you quarantine for 14 days and you don't go anywhere else. But we don't have. During this peak period. People come in for a day or two days. It's no different than any other states doing. It's a precaution that all states ought to do in most states are doing, But again, we're going to continue to look at those areas each day where we can cut down on outside contacts that could come in and frustrate the sacrifices that we as Kentucky and are making next piece. I'm announcing that we are moving ahead with plans at the fairgrounds in Louisville working to convert it to at least a 2000 bed field hospital. We're gonna use the National Guard to help stage that. Believe the Army Corps of Engineers eyes helping us out with some work to our goal is to be ready when the surge comes. And that that doesn't mean that we wait until we don't have enough space and then try to put this together. We wanna learn lessons from watching other states and what they're experiencing. I wanna have this set. I wanna have it fully ready. I don't want to be able to lock the doors to it to reopen when we need it. I wanna have it ready before we need one of those single bets. And if we don't need it? Hallelujah. It means that that the number of people that needed hospitalization fell within our healthcare capacity with a lot of other steps that we are taking, I want to say that I appreciate our emergency management group here in Kentucky that is leading those efforts along with the Department of Public Health that is helping out with them. Uh, next, we have our first report on what will be our initial release of select prisoners from our state institutions. I'm gonna ask our secretary of the Cabinet who is the top appointed official in Kentucky, Michael Brown, to come up and to address that. Thank you, Governor. Um, today the governor signed an executive order which, as the indicators our first step in addressing issues involving our inmate population and it's ah, it works both ways. And these these orders and one is to help protect those who are and have been incarcerated, the others to help protect those men and women who are serving on behalf of the state. As our correction officers and all the workers in our institutions, we're going to a screening process and that order. Today's order will result in the commutation of sentences for 186 individuals, all of whom have been screened using criteria that CDC has put out indicating that they may be vulnerable too, and be more susceptible to getting the virus. These include of respiratory ailments, heart conditions, etcetera. All of the individuals on this particular list fall in the category of C and D felons, and all of them have conditions that they have to uphold in order to fulfill the terms of the commutation. First, they'll have to be screened at the institution medically screened at the institution prior to their release. We certainly don't want to put anybody out into the community that already would be testing or indicating symptoms off the virus next. Once they're out, they have to have a residence to go to. That will be confirmed, and when they get to that residents there will be a quarantine, therefore period of 14 days. Furthermore, they have a condition that they can obviously commit any other offenses or break any of the other conditions while they're out, or else the rest of their sentence can be re imposed upon them. The next step would be that we have identified pre identified a group off right now 743 inmates where, if we complete our screening process is next week. These are all individuals who are within six months of completion of this sentence, and they will also be released upon the final check marks that we got to do next week. So that's another 743. They may be coming out. This is lightening the load on our correction system at the same time protecting some of the most vulnerable individuals who are in the correction system and after that will continue one screening process toe look att that all the populations that might be there and I won't do want to say that even within the institutions, we've stepped up all of our efforts. As faras sanitation goes, we're working on creating. Even the inmates themselves are making some peopie although it may not be medical grade toe help protect them and we imposing social distancing at far institutions as much as possible. Thank you. So don't take it all that you got mine. I got you. I don't want yours. Um, the the population that is involved here are all C and D, the two lowest level of felonies. They've also been screened for offenses that are non violent on non sex related eso, for instance, there are certainties on certain sees that that weren't eligible for this consideration. Uh, next peace Isa called action. When we look at the personal protective equipment that we need, we have three different ways that we go about getting it. Number one we try to buy, and that is harder and harder and harder said it before. Just about every time that we or any other state has an order that we think we're gonna get the federal government buys it or it goes to them. It's a It's a real challenge right now. Um, number two. We worked to create folks to manufacturer it, and the more sophisticated is, the harder it is with the intellectual property that's out there. But we're working through that. Number three, We ask for donations, and we have put up so many different slides showing amazing donations that people have made what we need right now. Kentucky and I know there's a lot out there his gloves, his gloves for our our medical professionals. And if you have gloves, we want you to call this number. This is the National Guard's main number. They're gonna coordinate collecting as many as we can. I believe that there are at least a 1,000,000 gloves out there in Kentucky that people can live without, so that our health care professionals can have what they need. We believe this is the next area where there's gonna be a big run in the United States. We need as many of those donations as we can. Eso call the number If you got it, put it out on social media. When when you're able to make that donation, we need the help. All right, so let's get to today's report. But first I want to go over kind of how these numbers, how we get the numbers that we report every day and the challenge that is with him. So, James, can you put up that slide? There are multiple ways that we get this information. So what I provide each day are the official numbers for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, based on what's been received and confirmed by the Department of Public Health, which being represented here. By Steve Stacks. PHOTO So the first area that it comes in from are our labs. There are now over 32 labs that has sent have done at least one test in Kentucky. But here's the challenge. Only two of them report electronically, which is the normal way that's reported. And a lot of these labs might be six months old, a year old or have never done this type of reporting. So we have 31 different groups that are supposed to, but do not always send data in to the Department of Public Health, and that data is supposed to be total number of tests. And then when there's a positive, it's supposed to contain certain information on it. But, as you can imagine, with 31 different folks sending it in, most of which have not had to exist in this regulatory environment the information that we get First of all, we don't always get it from the lab itself when we report it. And second, it is not always complete second place that we get information our local health departments and there are, if you click that next one 60 plus local health departments, give me the number again. 61 see local health departments, each of which is doing their best, but each of which is also getting information from lots of different places. So when there is a positive, the local health department is supposed to send us demographic information for us to collect within the state. So just pause where we have right here a lab. A new lab especially, may not be sending anything to the Department of Public Health. They may just be sending it to the local health department. Which means we may just get something from the local health department that we haven't gotten from the lab. We may get incomplete information from the lab. We may get other partial information from the local health department. And what is one positive may look like to you, because it could be where the test was taken versus where the person is living. It could be that age is not on one and is on the other. There can be transcription errors. As you can see already, we've got over 100 players that were getting information on and trying to match it up and do our best to make sure it's accurate. But that's not all. Sometimes we get information first from news reports, and at that point, we've gotta figure out Do we already have that information? And that requires checking with our lab and going to the local health department. But that's not the only place. There are hospitals and healthcare providers, and there's a bunch of them all across Kentucky, so often times the lab is contracting with them and the lab doesn't report to us. They report to the hospital who then reports to us and then we then have to go out and try to collect that information fromthe laboratories and the local health departments. So that is the process that we're trying to work on and work with for a type of pandemic that none of us have ever experienced. So for those that are upset that our numbers change whether we have to make corrections, I will tell you our Department of public Health is doing their best. They working long hours, I'm absolutely proud of them and I will stand by them. And every day I will give you the very best numbers I can because we're trying to give you numbers that are accurate as of three or 4 p.m. Some other states aren't doing that. They'll only report the previous day's number so they can try to work through them. So this is why you get numbers that we change and we go back and we try to correct and we try to de duplicate each and every day. Eso today's report starts with that eso going through and we're trying to do multiple levels of audit right now. We brought in some extra help. Going through our previous results, we've been able to find several duplications and a number of people who are out of state. And so our number from yesterday before we announce today's should be adjusted down to 670. That's after we remove those that were duplicated or were tested in Kentucky were reported in Kentucky but don't live in Kentucky. And so our number of new cases today is 100. So added to that 6 70 our official number of cases in Kentucky today is 770. And yes, if he called the labs, they would have different numbers. And, yes, if you call local health departments, they will have different numbers. It's only one place you can get the official state numbers, and we're doing our best with all of those groups out there to get them to you every day, as accurately as we can. Now 100 is a lot of cases, but again, it's not, um, 1.5 times what we had yesterday. It's not two times what we had yesterday, so we know we're in the slope that is increasing these air type of numbers that we expect. In fact, we would expect bigger numbers. Now, I can give you a partial list of new counties that that we have. And remember the public health departments and other cities announced at different times with different cut offs than we have. And when I get to death Saand, that was gonna be hard today. It's gonna include one. At least that was reported yesterday out of a city that we hadn't confirmed. And so I can give you what I believe is 74 of the newest 100. We have 26 that had just come in right at the cut off that we don't have that demographic information on S O on our list. We have 28 additional in Jefferson County. We have a six additional in Christian County five and Kitten County four in Fayette County. And then we have to in Davis, Edmondson McCracken And then we have one in a dare bath boy. Boyle, Calloway, Campbell, Clark, Crittenton, Cumberland, Grant, Lincoln, Madison Mead, Menifee, Montgomery Pendleton, Pulaski, Scott, Shelby Spencer Warn in Woodford. And can you go back to this? Lied about how we get the information. I just want to throw one other layer in there So everybody knows what we're working with when you look at the labs, uh, over to your right, the amount of days it takes to get the results back vary widely with them. Our state lab is about 12 hours. U of l is really fast. They are typically within 24 hours quest, where there's a big national story about a backlog. I was asked about a backlog with the state lab, which we don't have. There's been a report out there that there's over 260,000 backlog inquest. They could take seven to 10 days. And by the way, if you're taking 10 days, it's not terribly effective. If you're asking people toe to self quarantine for for two weeks, and so even when we get a test that comes back depending on the lab, it could be 10 days old, and it could be being treated as a presumptive given different symptoms. Or sometimes people get a second test, which comes from a different lab. That comes then S O. This is this is this is what we face when we're facing a virus that is pretty much at least our knowledge only existed about four months, and we're trying to ramp up capacity as much as we can. And so, um, while the overall number of 100 seems like a lot, it's not escalating as quickly as we see in other places. But today is a tough day, a very tough day, Um, and the deaths that we have seen in Kentucky at this point, we believe that we have 11 new deaths to report today. Now those span from occurring on the 31st through today. But those tests often just come back. My understanding is they at least all but one individual, and we're still looking at information from that individual. Have other what we call co morbidity Sze, which are other health conditions. That's what this virus does. It goes after people who have other health conditions. Um, well, we'll provide an update on on the wear that these people are coming from and remember that we provide information at different times than others are cut off their different. But we have a 65 year old male from Fant, 62 year old male from Polaski, 49 year old male from Boyd, 70 year old male from Jefferson, 78 year old female from Jefferson, 89 year old female from Jefferson, 88 year old female from Fayette, 77 year old male from fat, 75 year old male from Grant, 89 year old female from Kenton and a 65 year old male from Jefferson. And we believe when Jefferson does it, next up dates that our numbers will be in line with them. Except we hope it's not the case. But there might be additional deaths that occur by then, Folks, this this virus is really that's really that's why we have sacrificed. That's why we have fundamentally changed our economy. That's why so many of you aren't currently going to work. It's watch so many small businesses are shut down. It is very riel, the toll that it can take on people. It's why we ask you to make sure every day that you're not having those additional contacts. That's why we keep asking you to doom or and Maur, and with this weekend coming up, I must share other projections tomorrow. But with this weekend coming up and being beautiful, remember we lost 11 people today. 11 and these lag by about two weeks, right? I mean, if you think about how long it could take for symptoms to show. So let's recommend let's recommit and I say it's a lot less breathe. Let's take it in. Let's recommit to making sure that we do everything we can so that we don't have too many more days like today. I also want to mention that we are now seeing them in different institutions and just like we are throughout the rest of the United States. So remember that innocent contact that you could have just trying to get together with somebody that can is just two sets of friends while they can go back? Maybe somebody goto work. Maybe somebody talking to somebody else in a grocery store that then no, somebody that they see that works in one of these facilities, for instance, least our information as of now is we have three positives of folks that that are either at or work at Western State Psychiatric Hospital. We can only confirm three. I think there have been others that said four. We believe one test is outstanding. Two of those three are on ventilators. They are both in their eighties. This shows how quickly this can move, how we have to make sure it doesn't get into those institutions and how everything that we do that matters. So three commit. Let's know, we wake up tomorrow. It's a new day. It's a new day that we wake up to address this Corona virus tonight before we go to bed. Let's make sure we light our houses up green because we lost a lot of people today. Let's make sure that that's showing the compassion to their families. If you don't express that compassion on social media, do it. I know the families are out there, and even if they're not in your city or your town or your community will likely to see it. Let's wake up tomorrow and let's know that each one of those people that we lost would want us to do. Even better, even though we're doing well would do even better. As we move forward, we can do this. Let's stay at it. Let's follow the restrictions and let's make sure that we protect those around us. All right, I'm gonna open it up for 15 minutes of questions. I'll go. One question here and one question on the sheet. I will give everyone one specific question. An order. I learned that yesterday, and we will start today with Phil, and then we'll go this way. Some of the stores, I guess our asked for. Just like one person for shopping partner asked yesterday about your conversation with a new things like Behavior is right. The question is about stores. And I believe Perry County put in an order on one person per shopping cart. And we have seen that the goal there is to make sure you don't have whole families that show up on oftentimes that could that could lead Thio socializing. We're looking at that. Our challenge is, you know, one person per shopping cart. What does that do to the single mom that needs to bring, or a single dad that needs to bring their kid if they're goingto get supplies? It may be that we look at a single adult per shopping cart, but folks don't take your whole family. Don't take your whole family to any store. Don't expose your kids. Don't expose each other. Think about it. If one of you gets the virus and you're gonna have to at least self quarantine, you want the other person to be able to be there to take care of the kids or to take care of you. Now let's think about those things when when we make those those decisions. I do believe that our stores air doing Maur and more as we go forward and they're learning like us. I've been hard on a lot of them and I will probably continue to bay. Why? Because we got to do it right. We got to do it better every day. Uh, let me flip some of the written How many people have recovered from the Corona virus, So we have not been tracking that. But we're going to start. We're gonna call through each and every person that we have documented to their public health department, and we're going to try to start tracking this on a daily basis. You know, this is a bigger challenge because it takes an extra step on the back end. But it's a statistic that before now we were not actively tracking. But I do believe it's very important we know the numbers above 60. We know it's well above 60 on. This is just tied in. What is the estimate on how many people have been tested for the Corona virus? So we've confirmed, I believe with what we have today, that that we've confirmed somewhere around 12,000 would be a solid number. We believe that is somewhere between 17 and 25,000 based on the rates of positives. So on the subject of the desk today overseeing were more stories from states that put a face on the human toll. The crisis we've heard from Kentucky and you say they want to know more about the victim. You know why there hasn't they're staying with people, don't want to release that information. Are you concerned that your name was human based on what's actually have? So if I could summarize the question, it's that in other states we've seen some stories on the actual folks that we've lost, which humanizes makes it more real to people out there and kind of why we have been doing that on Dhe and whether that's something that that we believe would help. I think that I added that last piece. HIPPA prevents us from doing that without the permission. Attn Least in my opinion, from from the families, any family that wants to share, You know, certainly we'd like to show our population some of the amazing people that we've lost, but I believe that's gotta be a decision made by that particular family. Um, and if if those that have lost want to share their stories, we want to help them do that now, I don't think that we have asked any of the families and in full transparency. And I think part of that is we've just been working really fast. But I do think humanizing it would help, especially as we see more numbers. We don't want people to be desensitized to the numbers right as we see numbers every day, and it's almost just how we doing right? And it's much more serious than the how we're doing now. I think our green lights something different than others were doing, and that's almost a way that we internalize it a little bit more. But I it was a question, but I think it's a good suggestion. Uh, the legislature would passed a bill that would let the governor and the secretary of state determine the manner of the election. If it is still going on in late July, Do you support the legislation? Yes, if it comes to it, would you rather postpone the primary or take steps to find ways around in person voting? First, we have to determine if we can legally postpone the primary any further. Know that there is already a constitutional provision that lets us push it back toe where we did. I would want to do a little more research about whether the emergency powers let you push it back. Further, I believe that the secretary of state is looking at other ways of potentially voting. I think he is right to do that. And I look forward to any of those conversations, like the National Academy of Sciences, says the White House later last night, saying that would seem to suggest the virus could be spread. Breathe here, eyes, this new research guiding your thinking, and it's time to start thinking about advising. So the question is about a letter that that some experts sent to the White House claiming that they think the virus can be spread through the air, at least at a at a at a greater level than previously thought. I believe one of the people that's been interviewed about it wasn't talking about walking around outside, but was maybe saying with his research, he thinks he ought to wear a mask or something when he is at the grocery store we're awaiting. The CDC is guidance on that. I mean, they are the overall experts in the field. They have currently advised people who are well not to wear masks. By the way, people who are sick definitely auto to wear masks. And if folks are nervous and they have a non surgical, um uh, type of mask that is not taking that away from our health care professionals, then I certainly understand that. But if we move towards recommending that, we absolutely can't have people using the respirators that are doctors the nurses need or the surgical masks that we need, I mean, we can't be doing that. We've got to make sure that if we reach that stage and we have the ability to produce a lot more of just a type of mask that would that would prevent the exchange of certainly of droplets and others. Uh, that's that's where we would get. I mean, we still believe that even if these folks end up being right, that that the major spread is certainly through through droplets of the type that the flu also spreads. Um, W p. L has asked about it, and I owe them an answer on percentages on the national stockpile requested versus gotten. I've worked on that today. I don't have it for him. That's on me. I know you've asked for a couple days. I will continue to work to get you on accurate answer on that current hospitalization rate for those that have tested positive. We're going back through and attempting to get accurate data on that. Here's where it's difficult, Um, that what we're seeing in some of our health care systems is actually a better rate than anticipated on days that people need to be in the hospital. So it's not a simple as you have the Corona virus. Do you ride it out at home, or do you write it out in the hospital? It is now more of a If you write it out in home, that's great. And you are preserving a bed for somebody who needs it. We're gonna need a lot of healthy, strong people to do that. If you have to go to the hospital if you're in that position, uh, it's it's when can you get stabilized well enough to go home and write out the rest of it at home S O. There is that extra wrinkle in there that at any given time, if we call somebody, is positive and say, Are you in the hospital? The answer may be yes. Or maybe no. But it is a good sign that the number of days required, at least in some of the systems, has been shorter than anticipated. And it has been in shorter than the models that we have. Phil Hospital in Lexington, Perhaps question is plans on a field hospital in Lexington. We do have andare working on a hotel to use as a hospital in Lexington, and I believe there's some other systems working on some plans as well that I think we'll hear about within the next 24 hours. I don't want to jump out in front of their plans being asked by Morgan needs from the Herald Leader. Uh, this is about the Bankers Association and Realtors needing guidelines are asking for guidelines with the county clerks office is for different things that they need. We have talked with the county clerk association Vera report that they're working with these two groups to try to figure out solutions about how without in person contact that they can get the service is that air needed the optimal way this happens? Isn't the governor saying you do this but not this and you do this, but not this. But as the two groups together identifying the central needs and then coming to an arrangement where we could have a few people working in a building as possible, we can have no person to person contact, but the the commerce, the thing that needs to get done, can get done. Jeff, I have a two part of a G in Louisville plant there. We've been told by that they have 300,000 surgical mouse there that they used to be. Oh, do you think that's appropriate to use of those? Secondly, we've had now have fighters and legislator, Republican and Democrat from Louisville, who called for close the plant for safety reasons. You have any thoughts about that? So So two part question one. His reports off of surgical masks or large amounts of, of of, Sergeant, is the report surgical masks or being used out at G on the second part being Is there an update on I guess, our position on closure opening Today is the first time that I've heard of a large level of surgical masks out there. That's something I definitely want more information on. I am. A significant number of of surgical masks are incredibly important to our front line health care workers. So I want to get more information for us. Say I'm concerned, but I'm certainly interested on figuring out the facts behind it. You know, we've been we've been relying on the Louisville health departments, Metro health departments, um, their inspections off and their opinions on G of that facility and the steps that they've taken will continue to touch base with them. But from our conversations, they are active, they are monitoring it. And we do hope, though, that that there could be, uh, some level of agreement or continue talks between G E and those workers is the governor. Considering the this, that's further can. The governor's office gives some response on Western state. I believe I did that. We can only confirm three of the four that they are asking on if lawmakers do not confirm Governor Bashir's executive order, reorganizing the state education board or passed legislation dealing with the board's appointees by signing die. What happens So if they don't confirm three executive order reorganizing the state education board or passed legislation dealing with the board's appointees by signing die, Ultimately, all appoint new members to the Board of Education. That's how we'll deal with that. My hope is that they will come in and they will confirm those members. Listen, I understand some of the concerns that were raised, their concerns that I'm not allowed to consider by statute, but especially with what we're in now, let's pray. I don't think anybody can argue that these are very excellent educators that from a matter of qualifications with superintendents of the year, National Teachers of the year, former president of UK, that they are an excellent group, especially to to evaluate the search for a new commissioner of education. I think that's pretty important right now. So what I'd ask is if they passed a one year budget, you know, confirm our appointees, let him serve out the year. And if they want to consider other legislation, I don't think it's necessary. But I'd say considered at that time, and we'll we'll argue about it once this Corona virus is is over. A woman that she and her boyfriend were tested boss Anecdotal, but not for you received similar reports. What would you advise? Question is on a individual report that that Mike got from someone who who was tested and says they're test was lost. This is the challenge with just for us. 31 different labs, some of them. We have one test from someone we may have two or three. And what we saw these pop up centers trying to charge 250 bucks. I don't think they're valid. Based on what I saw, they don't look valid. They might have some contract with someone, and they might just have ah couple supplies. But make sure if you're getting tested, it's connected to a health care facility. The State Ah University, a reputable partner. When I talked about drive up places. Some of them are legitimate primary care center and hazardous running one. They are a health care facility. That's Riel. University of Kentucky and Louisville, I think, have for first responders in their own people some that are up those air, Really. But right now, no one is offering testing outside of the most vulnerable with symptoms and our first responders and health care workers with symptoms. If you were being offered a test and you don't fall into that category, think two things. Number one, it's a scam. And number two, if it's not, you're taking up a test while generally healthy that someone else desperately needs. And if you are sick and if you do need a test, make sure you're going to ah, reputable provider. Well, let's see, I think I've answered. There's a question about King's daughter on dhe. Folks being positive, I don't have the information on that will work with with Chad W s A. C to try to get that information. Has the Amazon facility closed by the governor last month been reopened? Yes, that reopened. I believe on the first. I wanted to make sure the governor soul our story about medical interpreters at U of l, saying they're going unaddressed by leadership at U of L Hospital against national guidelines by continuing in person interpreters. I had not read that story until I got the question. I have just read a little bit of it at this point and would want to touch base with you about about what's going on there. But let me say in response to the question, anything that doesn't have to be done in person, anything that could be done virtually ought to be done virtually. And I don't know if this could be done again. Haven't not fully read the story and knowing what's involved, and I don't want to step in front of you fell by any means of that. But I think we all agree, and they would to that anything that could be done virtually should be done. Virtually take one more from everybody here so I could get through these. Nursing Has Kentucky pause routine inspections of nursing homes? I think the types of inspections were doing has changed more so about dealing with the Corona virus. But let me get you an exact frequency on that, and I'll get that answer from the Inspector general themselves. If we have entirely paused them, I'm not aware of them. But but let me make sure of that. And if we have entirely paused them, I'm gonna fix that. Um, all right, this is so what? It's gonna be hard for me to answer. Um says the number of people have asked me and I'm wondering is, Well, Governor, how are you holding up during the Corona virus pandemic? I'm really bad at answering personal questions. Um, it's hard. It's hard on all of us. There's three anxiety. There's the sacrifice. There's the loss on the guy that has to get up every day and tell you if we've lost Kentucky INS and you know, that's it's it's not easy, But I've never been prouder. And I said this to be your governor. I see Kentucky is doing amazing things every day to do their part in this, and I could have never imagined, even though I wanted to be a governor, that brought us together, that I'd be governor serving at a time when we need everybody. And when we have something out there, there is so much bigger than anything that ever divided us. Um, you know, I everything that I tell toe to you all I have to tell myself. I think I say breathe, uh, to you all because I have to tell it to myself as well, But I'm not doing this alone. I got amazing people around me. You met Michael Brown today on my chief of staff, Latasha Buckner. All the great people at DPH, all the wonderful state employees that are out there, all of our great hospital workers. I mean, we're surrounded by amazing people. And while Governor Andy Beshear with his daily another good daily update on Kentucky's response to the Corona virus pandemic, Kentucky and Indiana continue surging with the number of covert 19 cases today. Indiana reported 13 new desk from a total of now That brings it up to 78 total for more than 3000 people have been tested positive for Corona virus in the Hoosier state. Just moments ago, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear reported 11 new I'm being asked about my reaction to Daniel Cameron. I think there was a release today again that dealt with abortion. I haven't read through it, but I'm just not. I'm just not focused on anything other than the Corona virus, and I'm not gonna get involved in any type of argument or fight that could divide people in any way. My goal is to stay away from anything at a time when we all have to be together. How that could potentially pull us apart. The latest story on Kentucky Health News Kentucky didn't cut travel as much as bordering states did last week. Some moving about we're helping to spread the virus. I disagree. I think that national sources believe that our orders serve the exact same purposes as other states. You know, some other states say you can't leave your house, but for this there's don't say you absolutely can't be in a group of people whatsoever. I mean, we have different ways of going about how we're gonna get there. I believe our orders have equal strength, and I quote, all seeing the same problems in compliance, and we're all talking about encouraging people. The story uses some cell phone data about how far people had to travel. Well, folks, if you're in parts of eastern Kentucky or western Kentucky, when you need to go to the store it maybe 12 to 20 miles away. It is not. It is not, uh, urban centers toe where it is easy not to do that. If you want to go to the post office on, that may be the only place you get your mail. It is further away and listen. In Kentucky, we said you could go for a drive. Don't get out of your car, but you could go for a drive. If you can engage in social distancing, you could drive to a park and take a run. You ought to do that as long as as you can. You can do that. What's important to May didn't how we get a grade graded by wallet hub or or what type of cell phone data they pull out. It's that wherever we go, are we engaged in the type of social distancing that we are? Because if we can do that, we can keep our physical and emotional health in such a better place than having an order that at least a name says we're boarding up the house and no one's walking out for any reason. That's that's not what stops the spread of the virus. What stops the spread of the virus is we don't have contacts with other individuals that we don't get within six feet from them, that we don't find ways to frustrate the order that we all do. Our part. How many Kentucky ins who have died of the Corona virus did not have underlying health conditions? We may have had our first today, and we're working through that. I would have told you before. Today it's zero that everybody had co morbidity. Sze, we think we may have the first individual, but we need to make sure we drill down before we fully confirmed that that doesn't have a lot of known co morbidity is. But by and large, when we look at the deaths that we have seen out of, this comes for folks that have been suffering, huh? How are we? We answered this one. Um and then what specific parameters am I looking at before making a decision to reopen schools to in person instruction. So we're looking at a couple of things. Number one. We're looking at how quickly our cases increase, but also before we can open, we've got to start seeing a decrease in a regular decrease, like we got to get over what what are Peak is going to be, and we have to be declining at a rate where it would be safe. But even before we're gonna hit that, we gotta watch what other people's experiences are. With the way that this has hit New York and New Orleans and others, we ought to be seeing some models. Those models will likely be the large peak that looks like the no restrictions. When we put up how we flatten the curve, even if they flatten their curve, their peak is going to be, I believe, significantly greater than what we'll see. So our model will be a little bit different, and part of it honestly will be feel. It will be relying on our health care professionals, and it will be making the very best decision we can. But we're gonna make sure that we make a decision that protects our students and our faculty and the rest. And there is a chance there is a real chance that we don't go back to in person classes this year. I told that to the superintendent's that is absolutely possible. At this point, we're not there yet. When we get at least halfway through April or a little later, we'll be able to make that decision. One last one Reverend Bill that was passed yesterday had provisions on expanding after devoting primary. Do you think mail in voting is a realistic possibility? Question is one of the bills that was just past the revenue bill allowed for expanded absentee voting. Do I believe that mail in voting is a real possibility for the June primary? Yes, I think it's a real possibility. And if we cannot, if under the law we cannot move the election, it would probably be R R. If we unless if we have not. If it is still if we're still dealing with the Corona virus the way we are today, I would not allow poll workers to go in in person, and if we couldn't move it, that would be the option that I think we would we would have to take. We're not there yet, but if if if our numbers look like they are today still escalating at that point, or if we haven't had the decrease knowing our poll numbers or some of the poll workers or some of the most vulnerable. We'll do everything we can to protect him. And I wantto I do want to commend our secretary of state because I think when he was running and I don't know this, you'd have to ask him that He would say male in elections were something he disagreed with. But you know what? We're dealing with the Corona virus, and he is looking at being creative and trying to find a way to make it work. That's the no Democrats, no Republicans, just Americans versus the Corona virus. So I know have gone just a little long. We will get through this. We will get through it together. We're gonna have hard days like we did today. We had a hard day yesterday. We may have a number of hard days in a row, but we can take it. We're tough people. We've proven it time and time again in Kentucky and in this country every day that we have a tough day. Autumn motivate us all to say the stakes air riel and the things that were being asked to do. Weaken. D'oh! This is our challenge. This is our time. Let's be a good neighbor. Let's protect one another. Let's care about one another. Let's pass this test of humanity, which means we change our lives for the benefit of people we don't even know. And we met. May never meet. It's that we care about our fellow human being enough to where we will dramatically change our life and make our future economic security uncertain because we care so much about other people. When we look back, I know that we will not only remember rising to the challenge but truly answering that question of whether we put others above ourselves. That could make us a very special generation. And we're gonna prove it when we defeat this Corona virus. Thank you. Thank you, Virginia. It is important to follow the advice of local, state and federal public health agencies. Just tell my students, wash your hands often. And if nobody told you today, you're our ability to overcome. This pandemic is not about anyone but all of us working together as a part of Team Kentucky. You are not only protecting, you are protecting way we'll get for this way. We'll get through this to give together together a get together together together. Appalachia, Kentucky. We're in this together