COVID-19

Thousands of bottles of hand sanitizer and packs of antibacterial wipes and medical masks have been donated after a failed attempt by two Tennessee brothers to resell them for profit. News outlets report boxes were taken Sunday from a storage unit and the home of Matt Colvin of Hixson, Tennessee. The items were donated to a local church with some supplies heading to Kentucky where Colvin had cleared store shelves during the U.S. coronavirus outbreak.

When Gov. Andy Beshear said Wednesday that districts need to be ready to close with 72 hours notice, some districts were ready; others were not, based on a sample made by WFPL News.

One of the biggest challenges confronting districts is how to continue providing instruction when their students are not in classrooms.

Republican First District Congressman James Comer is introducing legislation to protect access to school lunches as districts throughout the country close due to outbreaks of the coronavirus.

Universities and colleges across the U.S. have announced a switch to online-only courses or campus closures, and Murray State University is following suit. All courses at Murray State, starting the end of the university's spring break through early April, will be instructed only through online or alternative means. Murray State President Bob Jackson said Wednesday morning the university is not planning to close.

The best advice health officials have amidst coronavirus fears: wash your hands, don’t touch your face and stay home if you’re sick. 

But for many Kentuckians, that last option is not feasible. 

As Kentucky grapples with four confirmed cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus, officials in the western region of the state are preparing for an outbreak. No cases have yet been reported west of Jefferson County. 

Baptist Health Paducah Chief Medical Officer Brad Housman said people should “assume” the virus will make its way to west Kentucky. 

  State officials warned coronavirus is spreading in Kentucky during a press conference Monday morning.