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Kentucky Coronavirus Patient Resisted Quarantine

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governor.ky.gov

  FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear preached social distancing during a daily update on Saturday and said that one newly diagnosed coronavirus patient had resisted a quarantine.

 

Beshear said Kentucky now has 18 cases, and officials are awaiting more than two dozen test results. The newest positives for the novel coronavirus were in Fayette, Montgomery and Nelson counties.

The patient in Nelson refused to self-quarantine, Beshear said. The man was being kept at home Saturday with a law enforcement officer nearby.

“It’s a step I hoped I never had to take, but we can’t allow one person we know who has this virus to refuse to protect their neighbors,” Beshear said.

Beshear also said child care centers in the state should consider temporarily closing within 72 hours. The state’s court system took steps Friday to halt most proceedings in response to the virus.

Earlier this week Beshear urged Kentucky’s K-12 schools, both public and private, to cease in-person classes for the next two weeks, starting Monday. All 172 school districts have complied with his request and will close for at least two weeks.

For most people, the new coronavirus 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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