LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Gov. Andy Beshear said the state is converting the fairgrounds in Louisville into a field hospital with 2,000 beds to prepare for a surge of COVID-19 patients.
“Our goal is to be ready when the surge comes,” the governor said Thursday.
Kentucky is learning lessons from other states and cannot afford to wait until the surge arrives, he added.
The Army National Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers are helping to set up the makeshift hospital.
“And if we don’t need it, hallelujah,” Beshear said.
The governor on Thursday also announced 11 new deaths related to COVID-19, bringing the state’s total to 31. Beshear also reported 100 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the state’s official total to 770.
While he acknowledged that 100 new cases are “a lot,” Beshear said it’s less than the state had expected, and numbers in Kentucky are escalating more slowly than in other states.
The governor reiterated that Kentuckians must continue to follow social distancing guidance to prevent the virus from spreading further. The threat is real, he said, but he also reminded Kentuckians that the fight would be over eventually.
“What we are facing right now is temporary,” Beshear said. “At worst, we are looking at a period of months.”
If people do their part, the governor said the state can minimize the impact of the virus, including the number of Kentuckians who will die from COVID-19.
Beshear had warned Wednesday that, based on a model from the White House, up to 3,200 Kentuckians are projected to die from the virus.
“We know we will come out the other side,” he said.
Globally, more than 1 million people have become infected, 51,485 have died, and about 209,000 have recovered, according to data from Johns Hopkins University as of 5:07 p.m. Thursday.
For most people, the virus 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.
One of the best ways to prevent spread of the virus is washing your hands with soap and water. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends first washing with warm or cold water and then lathering soap for 20 seconds to get it on the backs of hands, between fingers and under fingernails before rinsing off.
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