FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky’s governor raised concerns Monday that supplies of testing materials and personal protective equipment are become tighter in the fight against COVID-19.
Despite the supply worries, the Bluegrass State has built up critical reserves of some PPE and is in better shape than most states to deal with shortages of testing materials, Gov. Andy Beshear said.
“I believe that in Kentucky, we are in a much better place because of our local partnerships,” the governor told reporters. “But I will warn everybody that we’re starting to see the market tighten in both testing supplies, which are at a very difficult level, and PPE. It’s getting harder and harder, once again, to get certain items of PPE.”
His concerns about the availability of crucial supplies come as Kentucky recorded its highest number of coronavirus cases in a single week. The state had more than 4,300 cases last week, Beshear said. He expressed hope that the state reached a “new plateau” in weekly cases.
Beshear reported 376 new virus cases Monday - about in line with several recent Mondays, the governor said. Reported cases are typically lower on Mondays because labs are closed on Sundays, he noted. Fifty-four of the new cases are among Kentuckians ages 18 and under, he said.
The Democratic governor last week recommended that Kentucky schools wait until Sept. 28 to resume in-person classes. Beshear, the father of two children, has called it a tough but necessary step to allow more time to get the virus under control.
Noting the cases involving school-age children, Beshear said: “Just based on that, when they might have been going back to school today or next Monday, I think the right decision was made.”
The state reported five more virus-related deaths Monday, raising the total to 818.
Kentucky’s positivity rate - a rolling figure reflecting the average number of tests coming back positive for COVID-19 - was 5.8%, which remains too high, the governor said.
Beshear said a robust testing program is crucial in combating the virus. But Dr. Steven Stack, Kentucky’s public health commissioner, warned that testing supplies are “getting tight again.”
“The demand for the tests continues to grow more quickly than the resources to provide the tests,” Stack said. “So we are likely to be at some kind of plateau for a while, but it’ going to be a challenge just to maintain the plateau because a lot of other states are going to compete now more intensely to try and get these resources.”
Kentucky is in a better situation than most states to deal with shortages of testing supplies, the governor said.
“That’s because we have four homegrown state labs … that right now are doing a better job than most about having what they need,” he said.
Last week, Bullard, which makes protective equipment, announced a collaboration with Toyota in an effort to produce additional PPE. Toyota is a major employer in central Kentucky.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some - especially older adults and people with existing health problems - it can cause more severe illness and be fatal.
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