Beshear reports 171 new COVID-19 cases, 5 additional deaths; state aims to process all March unemployment claims |

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Gov. Andy Beshear reported 171 new positive cases of the coronavirus and five additional virus-related deaths in Kentucky on Saturday.

The state is up to at least 3,905 cases of COVID-19 and 205 deaths related to the respiratory illness. Three of the deaths Beshear reported Saturday were Jefferson County residents: an 87-year-old woman, an 88-year-old woman and a 93-year-old woman.

State health officials have processed 46,558 COVID-19 tests, Beshear said, which is an increase of 14,333 tests from the 32,225 reported a week ago. Kentucky's testing capacity should see an even bigger jump next week with sites opening Monday in Louisville's Shawnee Park (8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday) and Wednesday at the Bashford Manor Walmart (9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily). An additional nine sites will open next week around the state — two in Lexington and one each in Bowling Green, Cadiz, Hazard, Hopkinsville, Mt. Vernon, Murray and Owensboro.

The Shawnee Park site, in collaboration with Kroger and Gravity Diagnostics, is at capacity for its first week of testing, but the governor said residents will be able to register for a second week of testing at the park at 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 29.

The Walmart site will be open to first responders and health care workers, regardless of symptoms, plus anyone over 18 years old who is showing symptoms. For additional Louisville testing sign-up information, click here.

More than 1,500 Kentuckians have recovered since contracting the coronavirus.

Kentucky saw a 151-case drop from the 322 cases of COVID-19 Beshear reported Friday. To clarify one of the state's benchmarks for reopening the economy in a safe manor, Beshear said Kentucky needs to see a 14-day decline in the rate of new cases reported.

"That doesn't look like a straight drop," the governor added. "One day we may have a little more, and one day we have a lot less."

The state begins its first phase of reopening Monday with non-urgent health care services such as medical offices, chiropractors, optometrists and physical therapy. Beshear said the facilities must follow several guidelines, including eliminating traditional waiting rooms, screening employees and patients for COVID-19 symptoms, practicing social distancing and frequent sanitizing.

"If we don't do this right and we have a second spike, we end up with more economic damage — and all of our national economists are talking about this — than we do if we simply hurry up and then try to adjust," he said.

The governor said he's working on a plan to allow dental offices to reopen, but that can't happen until the state ensures patients can be seen safely without the risk of COVID-19 spreading.

Beshear: State aims to process all March unemployment claims in the next week

If you applied for unemployment in March and still haven't heard from the state, Beshear said that should change in the coming week.

The state's backlogged system has left more than 80,000 people without benefits and families running low on money, struggling to make ends meet.

"You've waited far too long if you applied in March; that's not right," the governor added. "Now, listen, this is my administration; it's on me, but it's not right, and I've told our folks that we absolutely have to address that piece this very week, and they have some confidence that they can get that done."

Roughly 500,000 Kentuckians have filed for unemployment since March 15, workforce officials said, including more than 103,000 new filers just this week, according to previous reporting.

The state hired 1,000 additional unemployment workers to help clear the backlogged system.

"It was an antiquated unemployment system that was not equipped to take on what we're seeing right now," Kentucky Lt. Gov. Jacquelin Coleman told WDRB News on Thursday. "So we're taking on the challenges as they come and doing the best we can to solve the issues and help more Kentuckians."

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